


Effervescent

by LILYisatig3r



Category: Dying Light
Genre: Dying Light - Freeform, F/M, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, video games - Freeform, zombie games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-16 17:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3497072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LILYisatig3r/pseuds/LILYisatig3r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Tower's newest runner doesn't return from a supply run and is rescued by a man out in the Slums who discovers she was bitten, how will their relationship develop? What will happen to them as the race for a cure continues on? Rated M now for violence, language, and mature sex scenes. OCxOC. - 4/28/15: ON HIATUS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allie is found and rescued by Luke, but neither of them know who the other is quite yet. This is their introduction. Allie also finds out a very important piece of information that will change her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers!
> 
> The two main characters are entirely my own and are both OCs. My story will loosely follow the story from the game, but it runs its own course separately and the characters will develop at their own pace. I am currently playing through the game so as I progress, you'll be able to see that reflected in my chapters. I write with the intention to allow everyone to read my story, whether they've played the game or not. However, I do reference things like Antizin and refer to the zombies as biters, Virals, etc. So if you don't understand what those are, go study the Dying Light wiki! I'll do my best to elaborate as much as possible.
> 
> This is my first fanfiction (yes, ever), so I welcome constructive criticism with open arms. All I ask is please be gentle with me! I hope you enjoy and review/favorite if you do! :3 If you're curious about the title, I chose "effervescent" with the definition of lively, vivacious, sparkling. This is also cross posted on Fanfiction.net.
> 
> Dying Light does not belong to me, it belongs to Techland. Creative fellows that they are.

_The sun's hot rays beat down on me from the spaces between buildings. It was almost nightfall, past the point that could be called sunset. I needed to find shelter, a safe zone. I needed to get away from what was chasing me. I could hear its snarls and growls. It was too close. I sprinted in between the buildings, hoping for a ledge or awning I could use to pull myself up higher for a better view of the city. Of course, there weren't any. I took a hard left and almost tumbled down some stone steps, I was running so fast. I was now coming to the lower area of the Slums. I slowed to a stop, quickly planning my route out. A small river, if you could even call it that, was in front of me. There were what looked like ramshackle houses or buildings up ahead, past the river. I figured they would be my best bet and started to head across the bridge over the river. Suddenly, it grabbed my arm from behind. I wrenched my sleeve out of its grasp and attempted to take off into a run across the bridge...The last thing I remembered was feeling its breath on my neck, the feel of its weight crushing me as we landed hard on the bridge. Then everything went black._

 

* * *

 

**Three days later.**

"Ugh..." I moaned.

 I felt like I had been hit by a train. No, **ten** trains. The pain was immense, even lying down as I was. All of my muscles ached, my bones protested as if I had aged fifty years overnight. I cracked my eyes open, immediately shutting them tightly again and simultaneously throwing my arm over them. Why was everything so _bright_? I tried to open them again, going even slower than before and allowing my eyes time to adjust to the light. If I had to judge by the brightness, I'd say it was sometime before noon. But wait, how had I remained safe until morning? Wasn't it sundown when I left the store I was raiding? Where was I?

I bolted upright and swung my head around, taking in my surroundings. Just because it was daylight did _not_ mean I was safe. I was sitting on a bed with the thin sheets wrapped around my calves from swiveling my body around so quickly. The light was coming from in between the wooden boards covering the window across the room, opposite the bed. In fact, it was the only window in the room. _Smart move_ , I thought to myself. To my right, next to the bed, there was a brown wooden nightstand. A glass of water, a clean roll of gauze and some alcohol sat on top of the table, next to a small lamp which was off at the moment. What was the gauze for? The floors were wide wooden planks and the walls were covered in green wallpaper, with white French styled patterns running vertically. Time had aged the soft green shade to a murky brown-green. The decor didn't tell me much about where I might be. All I could tell was that I was inside a house or building somewhere.

On the wall perpendicular to the end of the bed was a door that was currently closed. The last item of furniture that I visually inspected was a makeshift bookshelf adjacent to the door frame. It didn't have any books on the shelves. Instead there were various items I guess you could call weapons. A pipe, a wrench, a hammer, and what looked like saw blades and some string. No guns, I noticed. Perhaps that was a good thing. Guns were loud and loud noises drew Virals and Volatiles. I shuddered, thinking of the last thing I could remember. That had been too close. I vigorously shook my head, trying to clear it of those disturbing thoughts.

On the top shelf of the bookcase, there were a series of framed photographs neatly lined up with each other. I swung my legs up and over the edge of the bed and stood up, my muscles and joints groaning in protest. Trying to make as little noise as possible, considering I still didn't know where I was or who brought me here, I shuffled across the room and headed towards the bookshelf to inspect the photos, hoping for a clue. There were five total and all five had the same people featured. A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties in the photo, was in the middle of almost all of them. He had light brown hair that was of medium length and wavy. It hit him at just above the tips of his ears and it looked like it would be soft to the touch. His face was smooth, as if he regularly shaved; perhaps for a job. He had an easy, affable smile. He looked.....warm. Soothing, almost. The woman next to him in three of the five photos had a similar appearance in nature. She looked kind and homely, like the neighborhood mom who gave all kids Popsicles in the summer when they passed by her house. Though instead of being brunette, she had honey kissed blonde hair and a matching pair of baby blues. The man had his arm around her in most of the photos. If not a girlfriend, then a wife or perhaps a fiancee at the time? His left hand wasn't visible in any of the photos since the woman seemed to always stand to his right. A mystery left unsolved I suppose. I tucked that small tidbit of information in the back of my mind for later.

Before I could even so much as glance at the other two photos, the door to the room opened abruptly. I grabbed the closest weapon on the shelf, which happened to be the hammer, and quickly spun to my left with my arm raised and hammer ready. I felt a stinging pain near my left shoulder but it barely registered and I chose to ignore it in favor of the possible threat. The man in the photos had entered, though he looked considerably different. His soft hair was now wiry and dry and it was even longer than in the photos, swept back and ending pretty closely to his shoulders. Time had weathered his smooth face and he now sported a scruffy beard with a paired goatee, giving his face a hard edge. He had a unique aspect to his appearance. He was handsome, but in a way you didn't normally see. His height, which had been impossible to gauge in the photos but was now easily visible, looked to be about 6'1" which towered over my 5'3" frame. His build was much heavier now than in the photos as well. He looked to be around 200 pounds but most of that was lean muscle, which wasn't surprising considering the environment we all found ourselves in every day. He was wearing a simple dark gray t-shirt and stone washed jeans, paired with shoes similar in appearance to Timbalands. He was carrying a tray laden with various food items. There was also a bowl filled with steaming water and what looked like a tan colored type of tape; medical tape I assumed, remembering the gauze on the nightstand. I immediately backed up to the wall with my hand that was holding the hammer still raised. My muscles were screaming in pain at this point, but I refused to let it show to a stranger.

"Who are you?!" I demanded.

The man slowly walked across the room to the nightstand, setting the tray on top of it. Then he turned back to face me with his hands up in the air.

"Woah, slow down now. You wouldn't want to tear your stitches out. Although it looks like it might be too late for that." His voice trailed off and his stare had fixated pointedly on the spot between my left shoulder and neck.

"What?" I questioned, looking down at my shoulder.

There was a bandage taped to my skin that was slowly seeping through with blood. I shook my head, unable to process the image at the moment and turned quickly back to the man, "I asked who you were. I'd appreciate an answer."

He nodded in response, "Yeah, you did. But I haven't answered yet. The name's Luke. You're welcome for saving your life by the way, so I don't exactly _appreciate_ the attitude."

I looked down, mollified by his tone of voice and comment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I just...don't really remember what happened or how I got here. Or even meeting you, in fact."

Luke sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, close to the nightstand. He patted the spot next to him, implying that I should sit. Instead, I chose the spot as far across the bed from him as possible, closest to the door. You could never be too paranoid nowadays. He chuckled and turned his body to face me as I sat. "You're careful, that's good." I grunted in response.

He continued on, "Like I said, my name is Luke. Technically you haven't exactly met me yet. I saved you a few days ago when you were being chased by a biter, sometime towards sundown. Which was pretty stupid of you, but that's another topic for another time. Do you remember that?"

Now it was my turn to sigh. I reached my hand up and rubbed my temple, trying to jog my memory a bit more.

"I ...remember being out on a supply run. As I left the store I was raiding, a biter tried to grab me from behind and I bolted. I ran for awhile trying to lose him but he was a persistent son of a bitch. I remember trying to cross this river or stream between a bunch of makeshift houses in the Slums. I can't remember anything after that." Luke nodded again.

"That sounds about right. We're still in the Slums. I found you guys down by the bridge over the river. You were just out of the biter's reach and as he lunged for you, you both fell. I caught up to you then and took him out but you had knocked your head when you landed, which I'm guessing is why you were out for a few days. Oh and uh....because of that." He pointed at my neck, which had just started to throb in pain now that I knew about its presence.

"Yeah...that. What exactly is it? Or do I even want to know?" I asked. Luke looked away towards the window and sighed again. _I_ sighed in exasperation, "Could you stop doing that? It's getting on my nerves. It just makes me feel like you're constantly going to give me bad news. Just spit it out." I added, "Please." As an afterthought, thinking it might soften how harsh my demand had just been.

Luke looked back at me with an unreadable expression on his face, his blue eyes solemn even though they caught the light and seemed to glow. Even though experience had dimmed the warmth in them in comparison to the photos, I still found myself inexplicably drawn to him, leaning forward in anticipation of what he was about to say.

"Thats because I _am_ about to giveyou bad news." He paused and looked down, interlacing his fingers. When he looked back up at me, my stomach dropped. Considering the grim expression on his face, I pretty much knew what he was going to say. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, he said,

"You were bitten."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes Chapter One! I know, it's awfully short. But I have a few more chapters written already and I plan on updating every week on Sunday. They get progressively longer, I promise. So don't go anywhere just yet! If you enjoyed, please review! Even if you didn't, review anyway and let me know why you didn't like it so I can improve :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke discovers Allie's identity and they begin to form a game plan concerning Allie's predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Chapter Two was proofread and revised much sooner than I thought it would be, so two days ahead of schedule, here it is! 
> 
> I realize that my story is quite dialogue heavy. I focus a lot on character development so if you're looking for a quick fix, this story is definitely not for you. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the second chapter!
> 
> As always, Dying Light does not belong to me, it belongs to Techland.

**Last Chapter** :

"Thats because I _am_ about to give you bad news." He paused and looked down, interlacing his fingers. When he looked back up at me, my stomach dropped in anticipation. Considering the grim expression on his face, I pretty much knew what he was going to say. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, he said,

"You were bitten."

* * *

The room fell silent at Luke's bomb drop of information.

I turned to gaze out the window when I heard what he said, forgetting that it was boarded up. How was I supposed to process this? How did _anyone_ process something like this? I turned back to look him in the eyes and whispered, "Bitten?" As if hearing him say it again would make the pill of truth easier to swallow.

He nodded slowly, his gaze holding mine. I blew out a large breath of air and shook my head. "What do I do now? How soon until I...?" I broke eye contact and shivered, rubbing my hands up and down my upper arms, as if to warm myself. Harran this time of year or any time of year, is rarely cold, so I knew that wasn't the real reason for my sudden goosebumps. Luke slowly, tentatively, reached his hand out to place it on my thigh. A jolt, almost like an electric shock, shot through my leg. I cringed away from his touch unintentionally, confused by my reaction and not wanting any kind of physical contact at the moment. Especially from someone I didn't know. He pulled his hand back quickly, "Sorry I was just trying to-" I shook my head. "No, I know. I-I'm sorry. It was just a reflex. Thank you....for the gesture, I mean."

Luke sighed and brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "To answer one of your questions, how long is really kind of up in the air. I gave you a shot of Antizin to hold the symptoms at bay for now. But it was my last dose and if you don't get regular doses...the inevitable _will_ happen. You said you were on a supply run. Is there a camp or a group that you're with? Maybe they have more in stock that you could use?"

I shrugged my shoulders, sending a spike of pain from my shoulder up into my neck. "I guess you could call it a group. They're based in the really tall condo building just up on the hill past the-"

In a sharp, swift motion, he turned to me and said, "Brecken's group? You're with them?" He exclaimed. I eyed him suspiciously and leaned away from him, choosing my words carefully. "I am. You know Brecken?" Luke stood abruptly, pacing the room. "I help him out from time to time. I'm not officially part of the group but I work as an external scout. I let him know when different breeds of biters emerge or if a large group heads up their way. How have I never seen you before? I mean I've been to the Tower quite a few times."

I crossed my arms and looked up at him defiantly, "Are you saying you don't believe me? Ask Brecken yourself if you want! You probably haven't seen me because I joined them recently. As in, within the last couple of weeks. Before that, I wandered around mostly on my own, jumping from group to group. There aren't too many people out there you can trust and I didn't want to run into Rais's men. When I came across some of Brecken's runners, I went back with them to the Tower and kind of just ended up sticking around. I agreed to become a runner in exchange for a bed."

Luke also crossed his arms in response to my now defensive pose. "I'm not sure if I believe you, anyone could've come up with that story. In fact, I've already said too much. I'm still going to verify with Brecken. For all I know, you _are_ one of Rais's men, trying to scope out Brecken's resources. Wait here." He turned and strode out of the room at a relatively fast pace. I could practically feel the anxiety he was experiencing, his need to speak to Brecken as soon as possible was nearly tangible in the air. In the next room, I could hear him rummaging through drawers, looking for something. The static sound of a radio started up until he switched to the right frequency. "Jade? You there? It's Luke. I need to speak to Brecken."

Jade's slightly accented but husky voice floated throughout the room, "Luke, how's it going? Sorry, Brecken isn't here at the moment. He's stuck outside. His whole squad was killed by biters last night."

Luke exhaled a large breath, "So the mission failed? Damn. Who's going to recover him? Do you need my help?"

"No, one of our new guys is going out to arm the traps Spike set. Brecken should hopefully be back by nightfall."

I could hear Luke pacing back and forth. "Okay. Well keep me updated. But hey, I guess I could ask you instead of Brecken. Did a girl show up and join you guys a couple of weeks ago?"

"Details much Luke? That could be anybody. What's her name? What's she look like?"

"She's about 5'3", long and straight black hair and has really light eyes. Most would call them a blue-gray I guess. She's about your size, pretty slim. Her name is...uh...shit. Hold on." His steps headed back in the direction of the room and he popped his head through the door frame. "Sorry, I'm an ass. I never asked for your name."

I looked up at him and scoffed under my breath. So like the big, burly man who's in charge to forget to ask for names. "It's Allie. Short for Allison, but I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that."

Luke smiled and chuckled, "Okay, then. Allison." I rolled my eyes. _Great. Stuck with a big, burly, **immature** kind of guy. _ He ducked back into the living room and I heard him talking to Jade again through the walkie talkie. "Her name's Allison. Ringing any bells?"

After a bout of feedback from the speaker, Jade's frantic voice filled the room. "Allie?! She's with you? We sent her on a raid a few days back and she never returned. My brother has been panicking ever since. Thank god you found her. Is she there? Can I speak to her?"

Luke's footsteps headed back towards the room again and he entered moments later, hand outstretched to give me the radio. I took it from him gingerly, trying not to make contact with his fingers. I didn't want to experience the same thing that happened earlier when he touched my leg. Our fingertips touched anyway, regardless of my efforts and the same tingle spread up through my arm. I jerked the radio and my hand away from his and he quirked an eyebrow at me, questioning my behavior. I turned away from him to face the wall, bringing the walkie talkie up to my ear. "Hey Jade, it's Allie. You can tell Rahim I'm fine, by the way."

"Allie! Thank god you're okay. We've been worried. It's a good thing Luke was the one who found you, you got really lucky."

"Yeah I know, he's been _great_. Listen, we have a slight problem though. The pack I had filled with goods from the raid was lost when I was attacked-" I heard Luke leaving the room in the background, "-and also, I was bitten."

"......." Silence came from the walkie talkie. I pulled it away from my ear to make sure it was still on and put it back to my ear. "Jade? Did you hear me?"

"Yes, sorry I just...you were bitten? Did Luke give you Antizin? He should have some there, we give him a few doses every time he stops by for emergencies."

"He said he did, yeah. But it was his last and I can't come back to the Tower empty handed either." Luke stomped back into the room with a khaki backpack in his hand, _my_ khaki backpack. I dropped the walkie talkie and stood up, jumping to his side and grabbing the strap out of his hand. "Oh my god, where did you find this?"

He looked at the pack and said, "Next to the river when I found you. I figured it was yours and had gotten knocked off when you were taken down so I grabbed it. You wouldn't be lugging it around for nothing, right?"

Jade and I let out simultaneous whoops of excitement. I picked the radio back up and said to Jade, "Guess I'm not coming back empty handed, am I?" She laughed and responded, "No, you're definitely not. Thank god for you, Luke."

He smirked and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, one ankle crossed over the other. He spoke up confidently, saying, "Hey listen Jade, I need to stockpile up on some stuff anyway as well as speak to Brecken. We might be heading back to the Tower tomorrow." I looked over at him and cocked my head to the side as if to ask, _We are?_ He nodded affirmatively to answer my silent question. I shrugged and turned around to sit back down on the bed, reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand.

"Sure, sounds good, but wait until tomorrow morning. It's already about mid-afternoon. I don't want you two risking it and your safe zone is pretty far from the Tower. Contact me tomorrow and let me know when you're on your way." Did she say mid-afternoon? That meant it was later in the day than I had originally thought when I first woke up.

He nodded and walked over to me, reaching to grab the radio out of my hand. He raised it to his ear and said, "Sounds good, thanks Jade. Out."

When she replied back, "Be safe. Out." Luke reached up and switched the walkie talkie off, setting it down on the nightstand. He started a bit, seeing the now cold bowl of water and the other medical supplies. "Shit, that's why I came in here in the first place; to change your bandage. Hold on, let me warm the water back up."

I reached for him, placing my hand on his forearm, forgetting momentarily that I was trying to avoid physical contact with him. The same spark shot through my arm again, surprising me, and I drew my hand back immediately. "It's fine, I can patch myself back up." He looked at my bandage, nearly soaked entirely through with blood and shook his head. "Not with your stitches in that condition. I may have to re-do them." I looked closely at him, meeting his gaze again. " _You_ did my stitches?" He chuckled under his breath and teased, "Do you see any other doctors around here?" He bent down to grab the bowl and turned to head out of the room. I shot to my feet and followed him, asking in disbelief, "You're a _doctor_?!"

He turned left out of the doorway and headed down a short hallway into what was apparently the kitchen. It was sparse, but it had most of the modern commodities. A fridge, a gas stove, and a couple of cabinets that were above the countertops. A sink sat directly under a window, also boarded up. The brown-green wallpaper extended into the kitchen as well. He poured the water into a large pot that was sitting on the stove, the pot he had used earlier I assumed. He set the pot back down on the burner and I heard the tell-tale clicking noise as he turned the switch on the stove. He then turned to face me, leaning against the stove, once again crossing his arms and one ankle over the other. "Was a doctor. Or almost one anyway, I'm obviously not much of one now. I was here in Harran for my residency when the outbreak happened."

I shook my head in confusion. "When the outbreak happened, medical staff and first responders were the first to turn. They were so exposed to the virus. How did you make it out alive?"

He turned to look at the pot of water, with a contemplative look on his face. "Ironically? I was home sick that day. I'd been feeling under the weather because I had been working extra shifts to send money home for...for stuff. I just overworked myself and was fatigued so I called out that day and stayed home, sleeping. I woke up to hear about it on the news. Obviously the quarantine had been in effect and I'd been treating people but somehow, I just never contracted it."

Now I was even more confused. I looked at Luke and asked, "Are you saying you're immune? That's impossible."

He shook his head and looked back at me, "Not immune, no. But perhaps a dormant carrier? I'm not sure how these things work. I got lucky and never questioned it."

"Did you have Dr. Zere examine you? Maybe he can find out why and use it for the antidote!"

Luke shook his head, "I told you, I don't think I'm immune. And I'm not a huge fan of letting other doctors poke and prod at me anyway." I began to protest, "But-"

The pot made bubbling noises and he turned around to grab the handle. I sensed that was his cue that this part of the conversation was over. I stepped forward and handed him the bowl, and he murmured, "Thanks," pouring the now steaming water back into the bowl.

He nudged me back in the direction of the bedroom and I turned, walking swiftly back through the door frame, wanting to get this over with. I sat back on the bed next to the nightstand and Luke set the bowl down on the tray once more. He pulled a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket, snapping them on with precision. I gestured in front of me at his hands and teased, "You always carry gloves in your pocket just in case?"

He smiled as he reached down and over to pull aside the strap to my tank top so he could peel off the medical tape holding my bandage in place. "No, but I knew I'd be changing your bandage, remember? I had those gloves in my pocket since before I walked into the room this morning." He tossed the bloodied bandage onto the tray and reached for the alcohol. I took a deep breath, bracing myself. This was going to hurt like a bitch. He noticed me mentally preparing myself for the pain and said, "Just try to relax, I know it'll be tough."

I nodded and looked up at him. "I'm ready." He nodded in response and reached down to grab some cotton pads I hadn't noticed he brought in. He poured the alcohol onto the pad and met my eyes for confirmation. I nodded again and gripped the edge of the mattress. He reached down with the pad and as soon as it made contact with my wound, I hissed sharply in pain. He glanced at me quickly and said, "Sorry." I sighed, "It's not your fault. It just reminds me I'm still alive, right?" He smirked and grunted in response. The next few minutes ticked by slowly as he meticulously cleaned the wound. The pile of bloody cotton pads just kept growing. How was I bleeding this much? I swung my gaze back towards Luke's face and noticed that he was now scowling.

"What, what is it?" I asked sharply. He shook his head and replied, "You shouldn't be bleeding this much from just torn stitches. Are you a hemophiliac?" I slowly shook my head in denial, "I don't _think_ so. I haven't exactly been injured enough times to really test that out." He stood and looked at me with the scowl turning into a grimace, marring his handsome face. "Well we might have to call Jade back. There's no way you're going to make it to the Tower tomorrow with your neck like this."

"But if I don't make it back soon, then aren't I screwed? We need more Antizen, right?" I asked him.

"I wouldn't say screwed, I could always go without you. But you're not moving until this wound heals. If you so much as try to do any free running or attempt to lift your body up, the stitches will just tear again. And if you're a bleeder, that's a sure fire way to get their attention and get _us_ killed."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are Luke and Allie going to do? We'll find out next week! Again, if you enjoyed reading Effervescent, please review! I cherish each and every reader and would love to hear your input on the story, my writing, anything! See you next Sunday! *waves*


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke explains to Allie how the safe zone works after they form a plan to return to the Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after consulting with xXfireXflyXx on Fanfiction.net, I've decided to upload chapters as I finish revising and proofing them rather than waiting to upload once a week. I also found a beta! Much kudos to Arenoptara, a good friend of mine, who has agreed to help me improve the best aspects of my writing style and really hone my story's full potential. If any of you are curious, she has most of her work here on AO3: /users/Arenoptara.
> 
> Chapters three and four are shorter in length than they were before I revised but the dialogue is all important, I promise. Allie and Luke's relationship develops a little more and we get to hear about how the safe zone operates! Things really pick up in chapter five so stick with me!

Luke looked away from me, his gaze pointed towards the hallway as if he was thinking about the best course of action. I looked up at him and asked, "Well then, now what do we do? I need Antizin and you need to talk to Brecken and stock up on supplies. We  _have_  to return to the Tower."

He nodded slowly. "I need to grab more Antizin from Dr. Zere or Lena for you. I can't risk having you come along or we're pretty much done for. We can't wait for your stitches to fully heal either because that will take a few weeks. You'll need another dose before then."

I crossed my arms and sighed. "So I'm a liability. Great."

Luke shook his head again and said defensively, "That's not what I was trying to say."

I looked at the floor and replied, "I know, I just hate feeling useless. That's why I offered to become a runner. I couldn't just take a bed from Brecken and sit on my ass as thanks." I sighed again. "What's the best plan then? I need Antizin and the Tower needs these supplies."

He looked at the pack on the floor where I had set it down. A few moments of contemplative silence passed before he met my gaze again. "I'm just going to have to go without you. There's no other choice."

I held his gaze for another few tense seconds before replying, "You run this safe zone right? I don't know how to keep it operating. You going alone could leave Brecken's outreach and me in danger. Not that I'm saying  _I'm_  all that important but the safe zone..." I trailed off.

Luke swiveled on his heel and walked through the open door, gesturing for me to follow. I rose from the bed, trailing after him. This time he turned right down the hall, instead of left to the kitchen. He rounded the corner and we came to a living room, which was in about the same condition as the rest of the apartment that I'd seen so far. An old, worn red sofa sat against the opposite wall and a wooden coffee table that matched the nightstand from the bedroom sat in front of it. On top of the coffee table was a map of Harran, the Tower's location and various other safe zones circled in red and blue ink. There were also a few more rolls of gauze and what looked like protein bars strewn about around the map. The wall to the right of the table and opposite from the hallway was where the front door was located. Instead of a regular wooden door like the one in the bedroom and that you'd expect to find in most apartments, it had been replaced with a steel door that had safety locks barring the door from the inside. I gestured to it and asked, "Did you steal that from a bank vault? You don't see security like that in a regular apartment every day."

Luke looked over his shoulder at me and smirked. "Actually, yeah, we did."

I shook my head in disbelief. "So what exactly are you showing me in here?"

He turned back and walked around the entertainment stand right in front of us, crossing over to the desk next to the front door. I trailed behind him and came to a stop to his left, my shoulder brushing his upper arm. I stepped to the side to give us some space, wary of that shock that kept popping up every time we touched. It was starting to drive me crazy.

There were three small monitors with black and white images on the screens located on the desk as well as what looked like an operating panel. Luke turned and angled his body towards me, pointing to the panel and directing his gaze towards the screen in the middle.

"We have three security cameras surrounding the apartment building. This camera is pointed to the only accessible entrance. We've blocked off all the others so biters and other unwanted guests can't get in. Like the Tower, the entire ground floor is lit up with UV lights." He then looked to the screen on the left. "This camera is right outside the apartment door. That way you can see who's knocking. If the generator ever goes out, there's also a peephole that we installed." Lastly, he looked to the screen on the right. "The last camera cycles through four angles on the exterior. That way I can keep an eye on the biters' activities throughout the day."

I nodded, impressed. "That's quite a set up you've got going. You didn't do all this by yourself, right? You kept saying 'we'." I put my hands up and made quotation mark gestures.

Luke turned to look at me. "I'd have to be pretty damned skilled to get this all set up on my own. No, Brecken and a few guys including Rahim, helped set it up when I offered to man the post out in the boonies."

"Why would you choose to be out here all alone? I mean you're pretty stranded. The Tower is quite a ways away."

He went silent for a few moments before replying, "I had some things I had to work through personally. Time to myself seemed like a good idea."

I stared at him, wondering if it had to do with the blonde woman in the photos. Sensing that he might not want to talk about something so personal with someone he had just met, I looked back towards the operating panel and tried to change the subject. "So what does that do then?"

He started, as if he'd been deep in thought and focused his gaze on the panel. "Right. That's the operating panel for the lights. The switch on the left is tied to the UV lights in the lobby. It stays on twenty-four seven, even during the day, because the sunlight doesn't reach all the way into the building. It would suck to run in thinking you were safe and there's a Volatile just waiting to say hi. The switch on the right controls the flood lights on the roof. We only switch them on at night. Keeps the area well lit and helps visibility so we can track the biters with the camera."

I looked back to the tv screen that was currently showing the eastern side of the building. "Flood lights? There's no way a single generator could run the entire set up you've got. How do you power everything?"

Luke looked upwards. "The flood lights are powered by three solar panels up on the roof. This isn't a very big building. There's the ground floor, this floor and the one up above, and then the roof. The generator is also up there."

"How is this floor not overrun with biters? I know you have the UV lights but that can't hold them all off. Not with such easy access."

Luke nodded and gestured to the screen showing the camera that was looking at the entrance. "Brecken and the gang helped me take out the stairs just like the Tower. In order to access this floor, you have to pull yourself up to the ledge. It's pretty high up so biters can't climb it like they can lower obstacles."

I turned to look at him quickly and exclaimed, "How the hell did you get  _me_  up here?!"

He looked at me out of the side of his eyes and teased, "My super human strength?" I rolled my eyes and he laughed. "There's a net we use that's operated by ropes linked to pulleys up above the ledge. We use it to pull up multiple supplies at once. I just tossed you on there and after I climbed up, I used the net to lift you up as well."

I pondered that for a few moments then nodded and said, "Thank you. For saving me, I mean. I know I came across as kind of rude earlier about that and I really do owe you."

He held my gaze for a few seconds and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He turned to head back to the bedroom and I stayed behind to inspect the screens. A few minutes passed and I noticed it was almost sundown and the lights weren't on yet.

I yelled to Luke, "Hey the sun's about to set. Do you want me to turn on the lights?"

His voice came back to me, muffled by the distance. "Nah, I got it. One second."

He rounded the corner with my pack in hand and another large duffel bag that was currently empty. He set them on the sofa and walked back over to me by the desk. Reaching out and flipping the switch on the right, he turned to look at the screen to confirm they'd come on.

I asked him, "What do you do if you're out on a run or at the Tower and you can't be here to flip the switch?"

"I can program them to run on a scheduled timer, if need be. You just have to press the little button next to the switch that I've conveniently labeled 'timer'. It sets it so the lights automatically shut off in the morning at seven a.m. and they turn back on at seven p.m. If I know I'll be gone for awhile or even when I leave on a run, I usually set the timer just in case."

I looked back at the bags he'd set on the couch and then looked back up at him. "You're not planning on leaving tonight, are you? It's practically nightfall. That'd be suicide."

Luke shook his head as a form of denial. "No, I'm just setting them out now. I plan on leaving in the morning at dawn, after I change your bandage one more time. I should hopefully only be gone for a day, two at the most. I'll try to hurry."

"Thanks again. For doing this for me."

He looked at me closely, and tilted his head to the side. "It's not just for you. The Tower needs these supplies and I do need to restock my Antizin stash. Plus I'm sure they'd hate to lose another runner. But, you're welcome."

I brought up my left hand to rub my right forearm, a nervous habit I'd had since I was a teenager and had never been able to get rid of. The room had fallen silent, an awkward atmosphere settling in now that we didn't really have anything else to talk about. I shifted my gaze to the floor and started to inspect the grains in the wood planks when Luke cleared his throat.

I shot my gaze back up to his and he gestured towards the hallway. "The bathroom is through the kitchen, if you wanted to take a shower or whatever. The water works in the building as well so. There are uh, towels in the closet in there. I can put your new bandage on when you're finished."

I turned to follow his gaze and looked back at him and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice. I might take you up on that offer." He nodded in response and turned to head towards the couch, sitting down shortly after. I started to walk backwards to head down the hallway, but pivoted back towards the living room at the last second. "Actually, do you mind if I take a bath? My muscles are pretty sore from hitting the ground and then laying in a bed for three days, and I could use a little bit of relaxation time."

He lifted his head up to look at me and stayed silent for a few seconds. I shuffled in place and started to say, "If not, that's fine, I just wanted to-"

He held up his hand, cutting me off. When he spoke, his voice sounded rougher, almost like he was angry with me for asking. "No, that's fine. Take your time." He then lowered his head to look at the map, inspecting it with unwavering focus.

"Okay, then." I whispered under my breath and turned back to walk down the hallway, towards the kitchen. To the left of the fridge was a closed door that I hadn't noticed earlier. I grabbed the handle and turned, pushing the door inwards to open it. Since it was pitch black inside, I felt along the wall to my right for a light switch, flipping it when I found it. The bathroom was small, but it had a shower and tub combo on the far wall, with a toilet to my right just past the light switch. A sink with a mirror above it sat in between the tub and the toilet.

I stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. After turning on the tub, I faced the mirror and winced at my reflection. I had definitely seen better days. My dark hair was matted and was starting to look like a bird's nest in the back. My eyes were red rimmed and swollen from being shut for so long. The nasty bite wound that was held together by just a few pieces of string on the side of my neck also didn't make things any better. The skin around the stitches was bright red. No wonder Luke had suggested I shower, he was probably sick of looking at me. Suddenly a knock sounded at the door and I jumped.

I walked back over to the door and turned the handle, opening it a crack. Luke was standing in front of it with the same shuttered expression on his face from before when I had told him I wanted to take a bath.

"Uh, yes?" I prompted him.

He cleared his throat, voice still gruff. "I forgot to tell you. Don't get fully submerged under the water. You can't get your stitches wet. A bath is fine, just make sure you keep them dry."

I blinked up at him. "How am I supposed to wash my hair?"

He stared at me in silence and after a few tense seconds replied, "No clue. You might have to wait to do that, sorry." He turned abruptly to head back down the hall and then partially swiveled around to look at me again. "Remember, don't get them wet." He continued walking down the hall and rounded the corner to the living room. I shook my head at his retreating back, baffled by his sudden change in behavior.

_What's his problem?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed chapter three! I'm sorry it's so short. Chapter four is also about 2000 words but chapter five jumps to over 6000! So like I said, things will get heavier. Expect chapter four sometime soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Circumstances cause Luke and Allie to do something that sets their relationship in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to my beta, Arenoptara.

After soaking in the tub for what felt like ages, I finally stood and climbed out of the tub to grab a towel. I sighed, longing for some fresh clothes and eyed the tub one more time. Quickly, in a bout of decisiveness, I reached down to stop the water from draining completely and tossed my dirty clothes into what water remained. I squeezed some shampoo from the bottle on the ledge of the tub and swished the water around a bit, causing bubbles to form. Washing my clothes with shampoo wasn't exactly ideal but it was better than sweaty, bloody clothes. ****

The realization that now I had no clothes to change into hit me. _This is why you shouldn't make decisions on a whim_ , I thought to myself. Swearing under my breath, I crossed to the door and opened it a crack, sticking my head around it into the kitchen. I turned to face down the hall and yelled, "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" His voice called back.

Embarrassed, I asked, "Uh, so I tossed my clothes into the water to clean them a bit. You wouldn't happen to have an extra shirt I could borrow until tomorrow, would you?"

I heard him mumble something and some noise came from the living room. He came around the corner and stopped suddenly when he saw my head and upper shoulders peeking out from around the open door. I lifted my hand up and waved at him. "Yep, still here."

He started walking again and turned to head into the bedroom. "Sorry, I just didn't realize you were in the kitchen. Uh, let me grab one for you." He disappeared into the bedroom. A few seconds later, he emerged from the doorway and headed my direction with a folded red and black plaid flannel shirt in one hand, a protein bar in the other.

He held the shirt out to me and said sheepishly, "Sorry, this is all I have that's clean. I've been meaning to do laundry but haven't had a chance. You might be a bit warm in it. Oh and uh, it'll probably be huge on you." Then he held out his other hand grasping the protein bar and said, "Also, the food from earlier is pretty much cold. You should eat this."

Taking the shirt from him, I laughed and replied, "It's fine. An oversized flannel shirt is better than nothing. Thanks." I ducked back inside the bathroom, shutting the door. I didn't hear him walk away from the kitchen so I turned back to face the door and called out, "Luke? You still there?"

He cleared his throat and replied, "Yeah, sorry. You, uh, didn't take the protein bar."

At the thought of food, my stomach growled. I shouted back through the door, "Oh right, one second."

"Sounds good." I heard him puttering around the kitchen.

I unfolded his shirt and ruffled it a bit to try to get the wrinkles out and lifted it to my nose. It smelled a bit old, probably stale from being folded and tucked away for awhile. But it also smelled spicy and musky. My brain recognized it as an inherently male scent. _I wonder if he also smells like this...._

I shook my head vigorously to rid myself of that thought. _Wow, I'm turning into a creeper now._

I pulled the shirt up and over my head, wincing when my stitches pulled at my skin. I realized a little belatedly that I had no clean underwear to change into. I turned my back to the mirror and looked back over my shoulder at my reflection. The shirt dwarfed me and the hemline hit me about mid-thigh so I figured if I didn't say anything, then maybe he wouldn't notice.

I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to walk back out into the kitchen wearing what was pretty much considered 'morning-after attire'. I opened the door and Luke turned to look in my direction, a glass of water in his hand. I watched his gaze quickly go from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes and I shuffled my feet, feeling uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat and said, "Sorry. I tossed my pants into the tub too."

His gaze quickly flickered up to mine, briefly holding it before he turned and set the glass down on the countertop. "You're fine. It was my fault for not bringing you something to cover your legs with."

I looked down, almost disappointed at what felt like a dismissal. I asked him softly, "Right. So, that protein bar?"

He reached out his hand to me, protein bar held tightly in his grasp, without looking at me. _Okay, then..._ I thought. Taking the bar out of his hand lightly I asked, "Luke, are you...okay? Did I do something to piss you off?"

A couple seconds of silence passed and when he replied, his voice sounded strange. "Nope. I'm just fine."

I slowly crossed the kitchen and came up behind him, trying to look at his face. "You don't _seem_ fine."

His hands came up and he gripped the edge of the countertop. "I would be a lot better if you'd back up a little bit." His voice was gruff again, almost strained.

I leaned back and away from him, irritated at his sudden mood swing. With a little more attitude than was probably necessary I said, "I'm sorry if I did something wrong, I didn't mean to make you upset."

He whirled around to face me, his expression closed off. "You seriously have no idea what could make me upset right now? Was this your idea of a joke?!" He gestured with his hands towards my legs, obviously frustrated. By the time he finished talking, his tone of voice had risen in volume.

I put up my hands as a warning and glanced behind me nervously. "Luke, don't be too loud. And no, I didn't mean it as a joke. I honestly wasn't thinking when I tossed my clothes into the tub to wash them. I didn't intend for you to see me so exposed. Like I said, I'm sorry if I made you upset."

He let out a long and tense sigh. A few seconds passed, silent and emotionally charged, before he looked back up and met my gaze again. "No, I'm sorry I overreacted. I haven't really done this in awhile."

I crossed my arms and said, "This being...?"

He looked at me for a few moments longer before crossing the room to stand in front of me. The space between us became electrically charged and I subconsciously tried to step back, attempting to distance myself from him.

His arm reached out and snaked around my waist, pulling me back in and trapping me against him. His eyes darkened and his expression changed into something more primal. " _This._ "

I swallowed, my throat closing up. "Oh..."

His raised his hand to cup my cheek and said softly, "I don't really want to talk anymore."

His lips met mine before I could even process what was happening. His body suddenly pushed me back and pressed me up against the kitchen wall. I gasped at the sudden pain and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue met mine and I moaned, causing him to moan deeply in return. There was something about the sound of a man moaning in pleasure that shot straight to my core.

He lifted my legs up and brought them around his waist, using the wall as leverage to keep me up. His fingers laced through my hair and tightened, causing me to moan again. After a few minutes I broke the kiss, gasping for air and breathlessly said, "Luke wait, stop. Are you sure this is what you want?"

He gazed at me intently, his eyes a deep, steel blue. His expression changed from heated lust to indecision. "I don't...I don't know." He braced his knee against the wall underneath me, so he could still hold me up. "I want you. But this seems so...I don't know. Soon? I do know that you're driving me crazy." He leaned his forehead against mine and I reached up, running my fingers through his hair.

I whispered softly to him, "We don't have to do this yet. Not if you're not ready."

He let out a long and strained sigh, slowly setting me back down on the ground. After stepping away and giving me some space, he lifted his head and he met my gaze again. "I'm sorry."

I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It's okay. I uh, think I'm going to head to bed now though."

He nodded and then mumbled, "We should probably bandage that first," glancing at my neck. He walked past me towards the bedroom and I hesitated before I followed behind him. As if sensing my trepidation at going into a bedroom with him after what just happened between us, he paused in the doorway. Bowing, he waved his hand in a sweeping motion and said, "After you."

I smiled slightly, appreciating his attempt at using humor to break the tension. I walked in and sat down on the bed. He turned on the lamp beside me and reached for the gauze, unrolling a good amount. He motioned for me to angle my body towards him and he leaned over, placing the gauze securely over my wound. After he'd completely covered it and cut off smaller strips, he grabbed the medical tape and tore off short pieces, lining them up along the edges of the gauze to secure it in place.

As he worked, his expression changed into something more serene. It was as if the familiar sensations of working on a patient put him at ease. It gave me the opportunity to really look at him, to study him. When I first met him, he had seemed so rough. Almost unapproachable in comparison to his appearance in the photos. His tough demeanor that was the result of our harsh environment gave him a dangerous edge but I sensed that underneath, he was just like every other man who was fighting to survive on his own while trying to escape from his memories. When he had a softer expression on his face, like he did now, he really was remarkably handsome.

Luke stood, finished with patching me up and I stood as well, reaching out to touch his forearm and getting his attention. He looked down at me, question in his eyes and I reached up on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his lips. It was brief and chaste, but I just wanted him to know that I understood why he had hesitated earlier about us. We all went through something that changed us when the outbreak happened and maybe he was still fighting away ghosts from his past.

He studied me after I rocked back onto my heels and a moment passed between us. He looked down and turned to grab the tray off of the nightstand. He crossed the room to the door and as he reached it, he turned back to look at me once again. He met my gaze and after a couple seconds he said quietly, "Goodnight."

I nodded and replied, "Goodnight."

He shut the door behind him and I was alone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, some action! Even though this one is short, the content is important. This is very much the pre-cursor (in more than just the obvious way) to chapters five and six, which are incredibly long. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke heads back to the Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord. Finally, the monster that is chapter five has been revised and is ready to be shared with my wonderful readers.
> 
> This chapter was a challenge. Not necessarily in getting the content out but it needed heavy revision, and my poor beta had to constantly help me with suggestions on so many things that required improvement. I'm very happy about where it's at now though!
> 
> We finally get to see some action, though there is considerably less dialogue in this chapter. Of course, with the way I write, dialogue will always be there...so if you like a lot of dialogue, don't worry. You'll still enjoy this chapter (hopefully anyway). I hope you all love it!
> 
> Lastly, kudos to my beta, Arenoptara, and all the people who have read Effervescent. It really does mean so much to me. Without further ado...

I rolled over in the bed, woken by the rays of sunlight. Morning came too early as always and I sat up groggily, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. A knock sounded at the door and I croaked out a reply.   
  
"Yes?" My voice sounded like sandpaper had scratched at my throat for years.  
  
Luke's voice drifted through the door. "I take it you're awake. Can I come in?"  
  
I moved to stand, stretching from side to side first before I opened the door. Luke stood just in front of me, looking ridiculously good for it being first thing in the morning. I immediately smelled the welcoming and familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and I about had a heart attack.   
  
Excited, I asked, "You have coffee? I could kiss you right now."  
  
He smiled lazily, as if remembering our interaction last night. His expression sobered and he said, "I do."   
  
He handed me a steaming mug with the magical substance inside. I quickly took it from him, taking a sip even though it was still piping hot and groaned in bliss.   
  
_When was the last time I had coffee? **Good** coffee?_ I thought to myself.   
  
I glanced back up at Luke and he was watching me with an amused expression. I lifted the mug and mumbled, "Thanks."

He nodded in response.   
  
I then noticed he had my backpack slung over his shoulder and his empty duffel bag that he'd taken to the living room the night before, on his other side. I cleared my throat and motioned to the bags.

"Looks like you're ready to leave. Is it time already?"  
  
He nodded again, turning away from me and heading into the living room. I took another sip of coffee and shortly shuffled after him. He was facing the hallway when I entered the room, waiting for me to appear and when I finally did, he waved his hand in a 'come hither' gesture and pointed to the floor in front of him.   
  
I begrudgingly obeyed and looked up at him, irritated.

"You couldn't have just asked me to do that?"  
  
He chuckled and teased, "You're not much of a morning person, are you?"  
  
I mumbled under my breath in response.

"Gee, what tipped you off?"  
  
He reached over to pull my shirt aside, exposing a good chunk of my upper chest and shoulder and I shied away him, exclaiming, "What the hell? Warning much?!"  
  
Luke just stared at me as if I were slow in the head and said in a tone that clearly implied that he was worried about exactly that.   
  
"I need to change your bandage before I leave. What did you think I was doing?"

  
I shook my head quickly, embarrassed by my assumption and said, "Nothing. Just, uh, sorry. One sec."

I leaned over to put the mug of coffee down on the table and stood back up, unbuttoning the top of the shirt.   
  
"Okay, there. That should be easier."  
  
He mumbled his thanks, peeling off the old medical tape holding my bandage from last night in place. I watched him while he worked and he nodded at the condition of my wound in satisfaction, placing the bandage on the table.

Before he straightened, he poured some alcohol on a cotton pad. He faced me again and reached up, dragging the pad across the wound and I winced. 

He glanced at me and asked, "It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, right? I can probably take out your stitches sometime after I get back."  
  
I shook my head."No, it doesn't. But it's still not exactly a comfortable feeling."

Jokingly, he said, "I don't think I know anyone who enjoys having their wounds cleaned."   
  
He covered the wound in fresh gauze again and I bent down and grabbed the medical tape, holding it out to him. He took it gently from me, avoiding my fingers. It was if we'd switched roles from yesterday and now he was actively trying to avoid making unnecessary contact.  
  
I cleared my throat and asked, "Luke? Are we...okay, after yesterday?"  
  
His gaze flickered to mine and then back to his task, sticking medical tape along the edges of the gauze methodically.

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?"  
  
I studied him before replying tentatively, "I just don't want things to be awkward between us. It was just a kiss."  
  
He finished and held my gaze for a bit before saying, "We're fine. It was just a kiss, like you said."   
  
He turned and broke eye contact.

Picking up the radio that had been on the table, he handed it to me saying, "This is for you. I have a separate radio in my pack, but this one connects to both me and the Tower. Don't radio me after dark, I'll check in with you. Just in case I'm in a situation, I don't want the noise to attract anything."  
  
I nodded in understanding.

"Got it. Will you reach the tower by nightfall?"  
  
He turned to face the window, studying the level of brightness and shrugged in response.

"I'm not completely sure, but I think so. If not, I'll have to stop at a safe zone and continue on tomorrow. I'll let you know." He swung around, heading to the door and pulling back the two safety locks in a swift motion.   
  
Looking back over his shoulder at me, he said, "Don't forget that the flood lights need to be turned on at seven sharp. Bolt the door after I leave. I left you enough fresh gauze for your wound, you'll need to change it again before you go to bed. You're not bleeding nearly as much as before, so it's a good sign that you're healing. Also, there are more protein bars in the cabinets in the kitchen and there's also dehydrated eggs, if you get extra hungry. Oh, and coffee. But that shit is expensive so try not to drink too much of it." He winked at me and pulled the door open, stepping into the hallway.   
  
I walked up to door frame and and smiled up at him. "Okay, Dad. Anything else?"  
  
He laughed under his breath and then his expression softened and he reached out, running the back of his hand along my cheek.   
  
I looked up at him, startled by his sudden willingness to touch me and he said quietly, "Be careful. If anything happens, the stairs are down the hall to my right. You can access the roof if you need to get away."  
  
I held his gaze for a moment and replied, "That should be my line. You need to watch your back more than I do. Check in with me tonight as soon as you can."  
  
He nodded and stepped back. He looked at me a minute longer before finally turning away.  
  
I watched him walk away and before he jumped down to the ground floor, he turned back to me. Seeing that I was still in the doorway, he waved and I lifted my hand in kind. When he finally climbed down, I turned to head back inside the apartment. I closed the heavy steel door, locking the bolts in place and sighed. This was going to be a long couple of days.  
  


* * *

  
**Luke's POV:**  
  
I grunted as I landed on hard cement, the soles of my feet reverberating with the shock. I walked through the dark lobby, the UV lights causing my faded shadow to warp along the walls as I passed.   
  
_I hope she'll be okay on her own...What am I saying? She's a big girl and she's made it this far. I'll check in with her tonight as planned._   
  
As I exited the building, I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness of the sun. Orienting myself north, in the direction of the Tower, I started walking briskly. I needed to keep up the pace if I wanted to make it to the Tower by nightfall. As I came up to the first building on my right, I reached up to the low, green and white striped awning with both hands and pulled myself up, grunting with the effort. I scaled the remainder of the building quickly.   
  
I finally reached the roof and held my hand above my eyes to block the sun again, taking in my surroundings. The sky was a light blue today, with wispy clouds that looked as if an artist had brushed them onto the background. It was windy though, and the harsh gust battered against my face. Dilapidated buildings of various heights surrounded me, as far as my vision allowed me to see. The sun hitting the white rooftops caused them to appear as if they were glowing. In the distance, smoke rose from random locations around the city -- a stark contrast to the peaceful appearance of the sky. I breathed in, noting the smells of fire and ash.

Harran used to be beautiful, until everything went to hell. 

Mentally mapping out my route, I stepped up to the ledge and shook my hands, nerves suddenly hitting me. I braced myself and quickly jumped to the next building, my forearms catching my weight.  
  
I leapt down to the next rooftop, realizing too late that it had wooden boards as a makeshift roof. I fell through and landed on my elbow, crying out. Dust and wooden shards fell around me, settling in silence as I attempted to process the jarring pain in my arm, my heart beating frantically. Trying to gain control of myself, I took the opportunity to inspect my surroundings. It looked like I was in an abandoned store, judging by the shelving around me.  
  
Suddenly, a snarl sounded behind me and I quickly shot to my feet, pain forgotten for the moment. I looked over my shoulder and a biter came through the doorway, arms outstretched towards me.   
  
I looked back up to the hole I fell through, swearing under my breath when I realized it was too high to reach from the ground.

“Shit,” I muttered when I discovered the front door was locked, my heart pounding in my chest and my palms started to sweat. I was trapped and it made me panic. Realizing that I’d just have to deal with the immediate threat, I took a deep breath to calm myself and turned around.

_Alright, we’re going to do this, huh?_   
  
I reached up and over my shoulder to unzip the top of my pack, pulling out my trusted heavy gas pipe that I'd modified to hit with maximum damage by tying an added weight to the end. I anxiously waited for the biter to come around the counter and approach me, concentrating on keeping my breathing even and remaining focused.  
  
When he got to about a foot away, I brought my right arm behind me and swung.   
  
The pipe arched upwards and caught the biter in the jaw full force. He howled and reached for me even more fervently than more and I swung the pipe downwards, smashing in his skull. Brains and gore splattered everywhere and the biter finally dropped to the floor, dead. Now alone, my heavy panting filled the room and I wiped my arm across my forehead.  
  
I stepped over the biter and crossed the room to the doorway he had walked out of. All of the windows had been boarded up and there were no accessible exits which left me with no other option than to pick the lock to the door in the previous room.   
  
I returned to the front room, kneeling down in front of the door. I swung my bag over my shoulder so it rested on my thigh and opened the front pocket to take out a lock pick. After jiggling the doorknob around a couple times with the pick, I finally heard it click.   
  
I picked up my pipe again and slowly opened the door, peeking my head out to look left and right for more biters. When I determined that the coast was clear, I eased my body out and angled myself north again, keeping my back to the building.   
  
It took two or three more storefronts before I saw the next group of biters crowded around an old car. I slowed and carefully crossed the trash-strewn street, stepping behind a building and looking up for a ledge to use.   
  
I had to remain quiet while somehow finding a way back up to a good vantage point, and fast. If I fell and made noise, it would attract Virals and biters, wasting valuable time, and I really didn’t need that at the moment.  
  
When I spotted the rusted safety grate in front of the second story window, I jumped and grabbed onto the bottom rung, using the grate as a ladder to scale to the roof again.   
  
Once I was up there, the path to the Tower was pretty visible. I had made little progress so far but most of the remaining journey was a straight shot across rooftops, requiring me to hit the street only once. I rolled my neck and shoulders, trying to loosen up my muscles. I didn't want a repeat of the incident just now. It was a little early for setbacks.   
  
Backing up to the opposite edge of the roof, I broke into a run, easily leaping to the next building. Once I had gained enough momentum, the next few buildings were a breeze. The wind blew past me and it gave me a sense of freedom in the midst of all of the confinement I experienced. I thought of Allie, cooped up in the safe zone and felt something that resembled disappointment in the fact that she couldn't be here, running with me.   
  
I shook my head and thought to myself, _You barely know her. It's dangerous to get attached to people in this world._   
  
Yet an image of her face popped up in my mind unbidden, and again, I found myself missing her company.   
  
_I'm just lonely_ , I thought lamely. Even in my head that sounded like an excuse.   
  
When I finally came to the last building before the street, I slowed to a halt, catching my breath. My thighs were aching from the prolonged use but it was a good kind of burn. It really had been too long since I left the safe zone. Hopping down onto a balcony, I tried to figure out the best way to cross the street without attracting too much attention.   
  
I pulled some firecrackers out of my pack and studied the clusters of biters lined up on the street. They wandered in circles, focusing their attention on a still burning skeleton of a car that had been abandoned in the owner’s haste to leave town. I tossed a firecracker down and to the left, as close to the car as I could throw. The biters made their way over to the disturbance.

It was pretty amusing that the biters were so easily enraptured by what were essentially fireworks: large clusters of fire paired with a ton of glittery shit.

They fell onto the car and caught on fire, squealing and grunting as their bodies were consumed by the flames and they eventually collapsed onto the ground. All that remained of them now were burnt husks of what were previously human beings.

Four down, five to go.

Any large group tended to be a challenge to maneuver, so I threw two more firecrackers to the right this time, slightly apart from one another. That way, the sound came from the same direction but was widespread enough to catch the entire group's attention.   
  
When they starting shuffling away from my position, I vaulted over the railing and down onto the street and sprinted past a large van. A sharp spike of panic lanced through me at the adrenaline rush and even though I knew the biters were distracted, I still found myself eager to reach safety again. I could handle myself against a few biters but a group of nine or ten? That was just asking for it.  
  
I hopped up and over the fence into the courtyard of a recovered safe zone, sighing in relief. A sign that said, 'Survivors here!' hung from the crumbled wall on what remained of the upper floor of the old building.   
  
I climbed the exposed stairs to stand in front of the sign, looking up into the sky to gauge the time and calm my thoughts. It looked to be barely before noon, so I should be able to make it to the Tower easily by mid-afternoon, provided I didn't run into any more mishaps. I turned around to face north once more, and jumped off the back of the building to the ground.   
  
After scaling the fence enclosing the safe zone, I jogged across the lawn and came up to the next building, scaling it to the roof once again. The Tower looked to be only a couple miles away now. Maybe ten rooftops, if I had to guess.  
  
The next few jumps were easy and I started to think I'd be fine until I reached the Tower, when I came to the sixth rooftop. The ramp that had been propped up, allowing runners to reach the next roof which was higher up, had been knocked askew. I skidded to a stop, a cloud of dust rising up to surround me. Once it settled I sighed, annoyed that I'd have to take a detour.  
  
I looked over the edge of the building to gauge the safest way back down to the ground. I'd probably have to weave between a couple buildings to reach the next point that would allow me to climb higher again. That would take me off course by about fifteen to thirty minutes, but at least the buildings were more densely packed together in this area of the city, possibly allowing me to cut that time down.  
  
I tried to judge the amount of sunlight I had remaining. Confident that I had plenty of time, I began making my way down to the ground. Once my feet hit dirt again, I straightened up and headed to my left, rounding the corner of a building.   
  
"Holy mother fu-" I froze in place, my heart dropping into my stomach.  
  
The largest biter I'd ever seen was standing directly in front of me, a piece of concrete with rusted rebar still running through it, in his hand. Nervously, I started to back up and he lunged for me, his heavily muscled arms lifting the makeshift giant hammer up in the air to completely crush me.  
  
I dove backwards, narrowly avoiding being pulverized and then immediately rolled back onto my feet. I sprinted back towards the building and headed in the opposite direction instead. Anything was better than attempting to deal with that monstrosity armed only with a lead pipe.   
  
Buildings flew by me as I ran and I heard a roar from behind. I quickly glancing over my shoulder back at the abnormal biter. He was only a few buildings away, so I pushed my legs to run faster, my stomach muscles tightening in fear.   
  
Suddenly a building with a balcony on the second floor appeared ahead of me and I immediately grasped the railing, kicking off the building with my knees for added momentum.

Looking back at the biter again, I realized I was still within his reach. I panicked and decided that taking any possible solution into consideration was a great idea. I jumped over to the next balcony and above me, there was a tin awning with a gap right in the middle and I reached up frantically, pulling my body weight up completely relying on my biceps and upper shoulder strength. The biter exclaimed in frustration when he realized I was finally out of reach.

I grunted when I was on my feet again, exhausted from the marathon sprint I'd just gone through. My heart was still thumping against my rib cage and my lungs burned.

Up ahead was the Tower's outer patio, the main building rising far higher than any others nearby. I leapt down, diving into a roll and landing back up on my feet. I shot off like a bullet, the adrenaline still rushing through my body, and scaled the steps three at a time. I flew around the corner, approaching the entryway with "the Tower" scrawled above the door frame. 

As I skidded into the dimly lit lobby, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Avoiding concrete debris and broken furniture that was littered across the floor, I slowly approached the ledge that led up to the security post and reached up gingerly to grasp it and pulled myself up. I groaned, my energy spent, and the scout at the top, Blake, reached his hand down and grabbed me just under my bicep to give me a helping hand.   
  
Once I'd gotten to my feet again, I gratefully said, "Thanks man."  
  
He nodded in return and stepped back to his post against the wall.   
  
The security area on the ground floor of the Tower hadn't changed. A desk sat directly in front of me with an outdated computer resting on it, and papers thrown all across the surface. Just beyond the security desk, sat Mesut, the Tower's Quartermaster. His inventory was stored on multiple shelves and bins that lined the small area next to the window behind him.   
  
I walked past him with a slight wave of acknowledgment and headed down the hall towards the elevator. As I tapped my foot while waiting for it to reach the ground floor, I realized I should probably check in with Allie to let her know I'd arrived earlier than anticipated.   
  
The elevator dinged and I stepped in, pressing the button labeled '19'. As the doors closed, I reached into my pack digging for the radio.

_Where the hell did it go?_

As I rummaged around for a few seconds, a woman's automated voice came over the elevator speakers and the doors slid open quietly. I walked out slowly, concentrating on finding the radio, my head almost buried in the bag. 

_Ah, there it is._  
  
My fingers closed around it and I pulled it out of my pack, slinging it back over my shoulder. Ignoring the guard standing watch by the elevator, I walked out and around the chain link fence that sectioned off the entrance.   
  
The rest of the Tower resembled the ground floor in appearance. Belongings were haphazardly placed against the walls, out of the way of regular foot traffic. The walls were old and run down, and the gang had painted them white and blue, with industrial looking floor numbers in black paint periodically appearing as you walked past rooms. Each room had a unit number posted next to the door, with what looked like house number plaques. The floor was made of that speckled linoleum flooring that would normally be found in hospitals or cafeterias, and it was worn down from constant use.  
  
Turning down the hall towards the room that had been dubbed the 'Headquarters', I switched the radio on to frequency two, the one connecting to the radio back at the safe zone.   
  
A few seconds of feedback ensued and I paused in front of the door to HQ, nodding at the guard to give me a moment. I paced over to the opposite wall, waiting for the static to clear. Once it fell silent, I held the speaker up to my mouth and spoke into it, still slightly out of sorts.  
  
"Allie? It's Luke."  
  
Trying to be patient and giving her time to pick up the radio, I waited for a couple minutes. When she didn't reply, I furrowed my eyebrows and tried again.   
  
"Allie? You there?"  
  
Suddenly her voice came back through the speaker and she sounded out of breath.   
  
"Luke! Hey! Sorry, I left the radio on the table in the living room and I was in the bathroom. Is everything alright? You sound tired."  
  
"Everything's fine. I just got to the Tower a few minutes ago. I'm about to head in to talk to everyone. I'm hoping Brecken's back already."  
  
"Wow that was fast. You must've been really booking it."  
  
"Yeah I uh, didn't have much of a choice. I ran into a few snags. Anyway, just wanted to check in with you and let you know that I'm here now. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning for the safe zone so I should be back before tomorrow night, just in time to give you another dose of Antizin."  
  
When she spoke again, her voice sounded more timid than usual.   
  
"Sounds good. Hey, Luke? Can you...check in with me again tomorrow morning? It's just...that way I know when to expect you."  
  
I stayed silent for a few moments, fighting with myself on what the right choice was. I was trying to remain detached and keep her at a distance but I also felt like talking to her first thing in the morning would comfort me as much as it would comfort her.  
  
I finally replied and said softly, "Sure, I can do that. I'm going to let you go now though so I can head in. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
Static crackled again and when it cleared I heard her say, "Thanks. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Out."  
  
I quickly murmured, "Out," and shut off the radio. Walking back up to the guard in front of the door, I looked up and told him, "Hey I'm here to see Brecken. Is he back yet?"  
  
The guard nodded and said, "Yeah but Jade and Lena are in there and the new kid just walked in. Do you wanna wait?"  
  
I shook my head. "Nah, they won't mind. I'll just go in now."  
  
He opened the door for me and I stepped inside the hallway. Suddenly, Lena came around the corner, shouting something forcefully over her shoulder. When she turned around she almost ran right into me and I reached up to grab her upper arms, steadying her.  
  
She looked up in surprise and said, "Luke! Been awhile. Maybe you'll have better luck talking to him, too."   
  
She reached around me to open the door and I asked, "Are you talking about Brecken? Oh hey,  I need to talk to you."   
  
She turned to look at me and said, "Yes, Brecken. Damn fool that he is. And okay, I'll wait right here." I nodded and she shut the door.   
  
I turned to head back into the main room and saw Jade and a man I didn't recognize right in front of me, arguing with Brecken who had a huge bandage around his head, already spotted with blood. Jade glanced at me, nodding a greeting and I returned the gesture.   
  
Brecken's room was by far the largest apartment in the building. Instead of linoleum, the floors were a light wood parquet, and it was all open concept. The living room was right next to the kitchen and he even had a glass door leading out onto a balcony with an incredible view of the city.

At least, it would be incredible, if the city wasn't in ruins.

The new guy didn't notice me since he was currently saying something to Brecken about volunteering to go out to secure an airdrop. I pulled Jade aside and whispered, "Who's the new kid?"  
  
She spoke without looking at me, watching their exchange and whispered back, "Crane. Brecken hit his head really hard so we're trying to convince him to let Crane go retrieve the drop. You know how Brecken is though."  
  
I nodded in agreement. Brecken could be stubborn when he wanted to be, but for the most part he chose to do things that were in favor of the Tower's best interests. Brecken finally seemed to agree with Crane and he and Jade left the room quickly, leaving Brecken and I alone.   
  
Brecken sighed, running his hands over his face and finally looked over to me.   
  
"Luke. It's been awhile. What can I do for you?"  
  
I stepped forward, leaning on the table between us and said, "Allie. Did you ever meet her? Apparently she's one of your newest runners."  
  
He shook his head in denial.   
  
"My brain is all kinds of jumbled right now. She's not ringing any bells. Did you ask Jade about her?"  
  
I nodded and replied, "Jade says she checks out. Rahim apparently met her as well, but I haven't asked him directly yet. Anyway, she was bitten while out on a supply run. I had to stitch her back up and she'll be recovering for a few weeks. I don't want her trying to return to the Tower until she's fully healed. I think she's a hemophiliac."  
  
Brecken blew out a long breath and crossed his arms. "We're short on runners as it is. You said she'd be healing for a few weeks? And she was bitten?"  
  
I nodded. "She's healing because she was bitten."  
  
He turned away from me and looked out the window, lost in thought.   
  
"The airdrop we tried to retrieve was supposed to filled with Antizin. We're running low. If she was bitten, I'm assuming you need some."  
  
I sighed in frustration, running my hands through my hair. I cursed under my breath before I turned back to Brecken. Of course the mission had been to get more Antizin.   
  
I spoke up and said, "Yeah, I do. But if you're running low I can't exactly take your entire supply. How much can you spare?"  
  
Still looking out the window, Brecken replied, "You'll have to check with Lena on that. But I know we can't spare much. As far as Allie goes, keep her there with you until she's fully healed. When you clear her for regular activity again, let me know. We need her back here."  
  
I set her pack on the table, pushing it towards Brecken. "Whatever supply run you sent her out on, here's what she was able to grab before I found her. Thanks, Brecken."  
  
He nodded and I turned, leaving the room. I opened the door, heading back into the hallway and spotted Lena leaning against the opposite wall. When she saw me, she straightened.   
  
"You wanted to talk?"  
  
I crossed over to her and we started walking down the hall.   
  
"Yeah. Allie, your guys' newest runner was bitten a few days ago. I already gave her one dose of Antizin but it was my last and she needs another one within a day or so. I know Brecken is trying to get more and you guys are running low, but he told me to check in with you and see how much you guys can spare. Allie's injured and can't return to the Tower for a few weeks. So I need enough to hold her off until then."  
  
Lena stayed quiet for awhile until we turned the corner and walked into the sick bay. She shut the door behind us and gestured for me to follow her into her office.   
  
In a low voice she told me, "I only have maybe one crate left. There are a few people in the Tower who need those doses, including Crane. I can't give you much, only ten at the most. You're going to have to stretch it out as much as you can."  
  
I nodded solemnly before responding.   
  
"Stretching it out is much better than the alternative. I'll take what you can give me. Thank you, Lena."  
  
She turned to reach behind her, into one of the bins against the wall, and handed me a tray of vials with a plastic cover over it. "Remember, make them count."  
  
"I will." I promised her, tucking them safely in my pack. As I turned to leave the room, I heard Lena call out my name and I turned back to face her again.  
  
She had a contemplative look on her face, staring at me for a few seconds before she said, "This isn't like you. You normally help stragglers and send them on their way. Why are you going out of your way to help Allie when you just met her?"  
  
I looked away from Lena, unsure of what to say. I spoke softly, "I really don't know. Why are you guys trusting Crane so much? Didn't he just get here too?"  
  
Lena tilted her head down and smiled, saying, "Touché."  
  
"Anyway, thanks again Lena. Oh, did you see which way Jade went?"  
  
She pointed left at the door.

"She went to find Rahim. Probably up on the roof, knowing him."  
  
I gave her my thanks and strolled out, back into the hall. Heading over to the stairs I quickly took two at a time, going up towards the roof. As I climbed I thought about what Lena had said to me.   
  
She was right, I did barely know Allie. Less than a full twenty-four hour period technically, because she'd been out for three days. I rarely ever stuck my neck out for wandering survivors, preferring to give them a spare room at the safe zone for a night or two and then sending them on their way. I never went out of my way to rescue anyone.

Maybe I was hesitant and even a little afraid that one day, someone might want to stick around. Yet here I was, with a semi-permanent female guest who I had risked my own safety for to ensure that she'd make it through another day. 

Sure, she was beautiful. I noticed that now after everything had settled down following her hectic rescue. She was a little spitfire though, always ready to retort with a sarcastic comment to everything I said. Even knowing her for only a day or so, her sharp wit was pretty obvious. But that didn’t explain why I cared about her.

I had spent my time since the outbreak ensuring that everyone stayed further than an arm’s length away from me, both emotionally and physically. So why were things different with Allie?

I shook my head, frustrated at where my thoughts were heading and not wanting to deal with deep, emotional questions at the moment.

As I reached the roof's landing, I saw Jade and Rahim standing just outside of the door frame. I strode over to them leisurely, admiring the view of the bay and the bridge in the distance, and Jade turned to me.   
  
"Hey Luke. You done with Brecken already?"  
  
"Yeah, I just had to talk to him about Allie's condition. It's all figured out now," I replied.   
  
She smiled and said, "That's good to hear. So she's staying with you for a bit, I assume?"  
  
I nodded and Rahim turned to me as well, asking, "Allie is staying with you? Why doesn't she just come back to the Tower? We have Lena."  
  
Jade looked back at her brother and seemed annoyed when she responded.

"Are you forgetting Luke is also a doctor? Allie was injured; she can't be leaping across rooftops like usual."

Rahim's eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh, right. How long is she going to be staying with you then, Luke?"  
  
I studied Rahim, my curiosity piqued at his concern.

"I don't know. A couple weeks, at least. Why are you so worried?"  
  
Suspiciously, he quickly replied, "No reason, I just wanted to make sure she was alright, you know?"  
  
Jade rolled her eyes.

"You idiot, that's not the only reason. You've had your eyes on Allie since she first arrived. Don't be a chickenshit and just say it out loud."  
  
Rahim looked down, embarrassed, and said, "I guess so. She's nice, I think."  
  
I scoffed under my breath and Rahim looked sharply at me, asking defensively, "What's so funny to you? Maybe you don't see it because you push everyone out the door as soon as they arrive, but I think Allie would really fit in here. She's tough, and she's willing to do what it takes for the safety of the Tower."  
  
I looked at him sternly and said in a low warning tone of voice, "I know that. I was laughing because nice is not a word I would use to describe Allie. She is tough, like you said. She's also incredibly sarcastic and from what I've heard, I'm sure she has a foul mouth. But she's determined, caring, and sexy as-" I cut off, realizing what I had just said.   
  
Jade's eyebrows raised and she looked at me with surprise etched on her face. "Sexy, huh? Never thought I'd hear you say that."  
  
I mumbled, "Never mind," and turned around to head back inside and down the stairs.   
  
Rahim was quiet behind me and Jade called out to ask, "Hey, why'd you come up here in the first place?"  
  
I shouted back over my shoulder. "Just to tell you that I'm borrowing a bed for the night. I'll leave in the morning."  
  
As my foot hit the top step I heard Rahim say something under his breath and then he yelped. I assumed Jade hit him and I smiled in amusement.   
  
Once I reached the nineteenth floor, I headed into the small room right next to the chain-link fence that was blocking the elevator. There was a bunk against the far wall and an extra mattress placed on the floor nearby.

Walking past the kitchen that was even smaller than the one at the safe zone, I tossed my duffel bag onto the floor and flopped down onto the mattress, exhausted from the morning's events. I leaned over the edge, reaching into the pack's front left pocket and pulled my wristwatch out. 5:17, it read. It was later than I anticipated, but nowhere near late enough to call it a night. Putting the watch back into my pack, I pulled the radio out.

Arguing with myself on whether it was a good idea to check in with Allie again so soon when I'd told her I'd talk to her tomorrow, I tossed the radio up and caught it as it fell back down. I did this a few more times and heard a throat clear at the end of the bed. Lifting my head, I saw Jade standing there, watching me.   
  
"You should just call her, if you really want to that badly,” she suggested.  
  
I sighed. I let a few seconds pass before I said, "I just talked to her a couple hours ago, when I got here."  
  
She laughed quietly and sat down on the chair facing me. "So? What's your point?"  
  
I sat up and swung my legs over the bed so I could look at her head on.   
  
"I don't want her to feel like I'm bugging her or that I don't trust her to take care of the safe zone. Shit." I sighed again.   
  
Smiling, she said, "I've never seen you like this. First of all, you barely ever remember any survivors' names let alone want to check in on them when you're away. Second, a woman? You, acting like this over a woman? I remember you shunning them all away, saying you'd be forever alone."  
  
I rolled my eyes.   
  
"I never said that. I just wasn't interested in trying to keep a relationship going in this shit storm. As soon as you get attached to someone, next thing you know, they go off and get killed and never come back."   
  
Jade went silent, studying me for a minute before she asked quietly, "And yet, with Allie, for once you want to try?"  
  
I looked away, rubbing my palms together while I thought, really thought, about what she'd asked me. "I know that with her, it's the first time in a very long time, that I've wanted something. I don’t really know why, and I don't know if I can take the chance."  
  
Jade stood, turning to leave the room and as she walked out I heard her say, "I think you should at least try."  
  
I looked down and sighed once again. Picking up the radio and mentally coming to terms with the realization that I did want to talk to her, I turned it on and switched to frequency two. Holding it up to my mouth I prompted, "Allie? You there?"  
  
Immediately, she responded.  
  
"Luke?? I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow morning, at least. What's up?"   
  
She sounded so relaxed and at home. I could just imagine her sitting on the sofa in my living room, feet propped up on the coffee table. The image was so normal that I smiled to myself.   
  
"Not much, just resting on a spare bed at the Tower. I was going to try to get some sleep but didn't realize it was so early."  
  
I heard Allie laugh and she said teasingly, "Bed huh? I knew you seemed older than me but going to sleep at five in the afternoon is pretty old."  
  
"Hey, I said I was going to go to bed."  
  
"Mmmhm."

I could practically hear the smile in her voice. I couldn't remember the last time I had talked to a female like this. 

A few moments of silence went by and I heard Allie ask, "Luke? How is everyone there doing?"  
  
I took a deep breath and started to list off names.   
  
"Brecken got hit on the head pretty hard, so he's definitely the worst out of the bunch. Jade's fine and so is Rahim, but he's a little moody. Lena is good, but they're running low on Antizin and Brecken's recovery mission failed so she's a little tense at the moment."  
  
Allie replied in a quiet voice, "They're running low on Antizin?"  
  
 _Shit, I probably should've left that part out._   
  
"Uh, yeah...they are. But she gave me enough doses to hold you off until you come back here in a couple weeks. So you'll be fine until then."  
  
She fell silent again and then I heard her sigh.  
  
"I almost forgot I'd have to return. It's so weird, it feels comfortable here."  
  
"Well, Brecken wants you back at the Tower because he says they need you, so..." I trailed off.   
  
The radio crackled a bit and Allie said, "Yeah. I guess that's probably true. Well hey, I'm going to let you go so you can head to bed. What with you being so tired and all in the early evening hours."  
  
I chuckled under my breath and said, "Gee, thanks. I really appreciate that. I'll check in with you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"Okay. Goodnight, Luke."   
  
The way she said my name, all quiet and sultry, made my throat tighten up. I knew ending things where we did the night before had been the right thing to do but hearing her voice then almost made me regret my decision.   
  
I cleared my throat and said, "Goodnight, Allie," and reached up to turn the radio off, setting it down on the floor beside me.  
  
I laid back down onto the bed, kicking my shoes off and resting my head on the pillow. I had to admit, as much as I missed Allie's company, it was nice sleeping on a bed and not on an old lumpy couch. I closed my eyes, resting my arm across them and sighed. My thoughts drifted into nothing. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that chapter was a doozy, right?! Don't worry, chapter six is just as long and equally exciting, at least in my opinion. See ya'll soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke heads back to the safe zone and things develop between him and Allie. A bit of both of their histories are also revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought the last chapter was a doozy, take a look at THIS guy. This is by far the longest chapter I've written and I feel like so much happens in it! If you've been following the story so far, there's a present for you that happens between Luke and Allie towards the end :) Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> As always, thank you Arenoptara for being my beta. You are wonderful.

**Luke’s POV:**

Voices from outside the door woke me. I groaned and rolled towards the wall to try and get away from the sound. As I drifted back to sleep, the alarm on my wristwatch beeped, a constant electronic trilling noise that I swear existed only to drive me insane. I rolled back over and reached down to grab my watch from off the floor, shutting it off and reveling in the sweet silence that followed.

I sat up slowly and ran my hand down my face, taking a few extra minutes to wake myself up. I was normally pretty good about waking up in the morning but yesterday's journey took a lot more out of me than I thought it would. Once I was less groggy, I stood with my duffel bag and moved to leave the room. For some reason, I felt as if I was forgetting something and I took one last cursory glance over the room. I didn’t see anything on the bed or on the floor next to it so I shrugged and walked back out into the hall.

Before I headed over to the elevator, I decided to make one last stop at the store to replenish some of the supplies Allie and I had used at the safe zone recently, as well as the items I’d used on the way here. I walked around the chain link fence that surrounded the elevator door and entered the apartment that had been turned into the store front.

I nodded at the guy who manned the counter as I approached and set my bag on the surface. I opened it up and peeked inside really quick, doing an inventory count.

“Hey man, so I think I’m going to need some gauze, alcohol, and as many firecrackers as you’ve got.”

He turned and disappeared further into the room for a minute and then set the items I’d asked for on the counter when he returned. I stuffed them into my bag and pulled out a few bills for him. I waved as I left, heading back through the opening in the fence so I could press the button to call the elevator up.

As I waited for it to get here, I pulled the radio out of my pack so I could check in with Allie before I headed out. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. After I stepped in and the static from the radio cleared, I lifted it up to speak into it.

“Hey Allie, how are things going?”

Her reply came back immediately. She must have had the radio sitting right next to her.

“Luke! Last night came and went with no big events so I’d say thing are going pretty well. How about with you? Are you getting ready to leave the Tower?”

The elevator finally reached the bottom and once the doors opened, I walked out, heading towards the last drop before I’d reach the ground floor.

“Yeah, about to walk out actually. I just wanted to check in with you before I got moving.”

I waved to Mesut as I passed his desk and hopped down from the ledge, onto the lobby’s concrete floors.

The bright sunlight of the early morning shone through the front entrance of the Tower as I stepped out, and I found that it was difficult to focus on any single object for too long. The rays were just way too bright. There was a light breeze that caused the palm tree fronds to sway softly and with the coming of the wind, I caught lingering scents of smoke still. I must’ve been standing close to one of the pillars of smoke that I’d seen yesterday.

I turned to the south and started walking.

“I’m out of the Tower now so I’m going to start heading back for the safe zone. I should be there in a few hours.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then. Luke, be careful, okay?”

“I will, thanks. Out.”

“Out,” she responded, and the radio fell silent.

I put the radio back into my pack and stretched, rolling my shoulders to prepare for the run. I broke into a light jog, anxious to get back.

If all went well, I’d see Allie soon.

 

\----

 

**Allie’s POV:**

**Twelve Hours Later.**

I paced the living room tensely, my arms crossed over my chest.

The sun was now closer to setting than I was comfortable with. There were deep orange rays of light shining into the room from between the wooden boards covering the window, which meant that nightfall would be here in about an hour. I could already hear the Volatiles screeching from the outskirts of town that had already fallen dark. They were ready for the night, and Luke still hadn’t returned.

I played with the ends of my hair as I paced, stressed beyond belief. Even though it was still technically before nightfall, I was hesitant to call him over the radio, in case he was in a situation where the noise would hurt him more than it would make me feel relieved.

As soon as I’d finished that thought, the radio crackled to life and I lunged for it frantically.

“Luke?! Luke, where are you?”

Silence answered me and I desperately tried again.

“Luke, are you there?!”

I heard a faint groan through the speaker and he finally responded.

“Yes, I’m here. I’m down in the lobby. But I need you to come get me, quickly. I’m on the net.”

His voice sounded strained and tired.

I immediately threw down the radio and yanked the steel door open, smacking my shoulder into the doorframe as I ran out of the apartment. When I reached the end of the hall, I stopped abruptly at the ledge, shocked by what I saw.

Luke was indeed sitting on top of the net as he’d told me, his head resting against the wall behind him. I couldn’t see all of his face because the UV lights cast half of it in dark shadows, but the half that I could see was scrunched up in pain. The bottom left of his shirt was completely soaked through with blood and I gasped.

“Luke...oh my God...what happened?”

At the sound of my voice, one of his eyes cracked open and he said softly, “I would be more than happy to tell you exactly what happened...as soon as you get me up there and into my bed.”

“Yeah, you got it.”

I reached over for the ropes that operated the net and pulled him up slowly, struggling with his weight.

“Jesus, you’re a heavy son of a bitch,” I teased.

He started to laugh and it turned into a fit of coughs immediately.

Concerned, I tried to pull faster and grunted with the effort. When he’d finally reached the top, I tied the ropes around a hook next to me to hold the net in place. I offered him my hand and he tried to use it to pull himself up without making us both fall back down to the ground floor.

He cried out in pain and I quickly reached down to throw his arm around my shoulder, allowing him to brace his weight against me and pull himself up without straining himself. We hobbled back to the apartment at a snail pace and when we were finally inside, I gently set him down on the couch, pulling his pack off of his back and setting it on the floor beside him.

I closed the door and hurried over to the desk to flip the lights on before we forgot.

Now that we were safe for the moment, I turned back to him and asked sternly, “Okay. What happened?”

He held up his hand which was covered in blood, and in a commanding tone, said, “I need medical attention first. I need you to bring me the first aid kid in the bathroom, fast.”

I nodded and sprinted down the hall to the bathroom.

When I returned, I handed it to him as fast as I could and he took it, opening it up next to him on the couch. He pulled out alcohol, gauze, and a needle and thread. With no hesitation whatsoever, he lifted up the hem of his shirt and held it under his chin so he could attend to his own wound.

I stepped forward and took the alcohol bottle out of his hand, scoffing incredulously. I shook my head at his stubbornness and set the bottle down on the table behind me.

“Luke, take your shirt off. It’ll be easier to do this without it in the way.”

He stared at me, perplexed, and asked, “My shirt?”

Oh honestly, I thought to myself.

“Yes, Luke, your shirt. I’m not a doctor like you are, but you can walk me through it. This will go a lot faster if you don’t have it on. Trust me, if I wanted it off for a different reason, this would so not be the right time.”

He looked down, pondering what I’d said and finally sat up. When he tried to lift his shirt again he winced and I stepped up to him, grabbing it and lifting it off for him, tossing it aside afterwards.

_Dear Lord._

Even with a giant gash in his side, I could still tell that he was seriously fit.

_Of course he is_ , I thought sarcastically.

Now that his shirt was off, the air was infused with the coppery, thick scent of blood. As I started to clean his wound, I asked, “So. Are you ready to talk about this now?”

He sighed and it was tense and long, filled with what seemed like frustration but was somehow different.

“I was making good time on my way back, until I got about half way. I tried to run through the tunnel by the overpass, thinking it would save me some time. Little did I know, a Bomber was in there and right when I went to run past him, the fucker blew up right next to me. I hit a car and it knocked me unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was nearly surrounded my biters, had this gash in my side, and a couple of hours had already passed. I have no idea how I didn’t get attacked right after he blew, the sound was so loud-” He shook his head in disbelief. “-it should’ve attracted Virals.”

I stared at him, shocked into silence again.

“Uh, why didn’t you call me?” I asked faintly.

“I had to hightail it out of the tunnel; it was a miracle I even survived. I guess the other cars were shifted by the blast somehow and kind of blocked me in so the biters couldn’t get to me right away. I got seriously lucky. When I woke up, they were trying to climb over the cars.”

He shuddered at the memory and closed his eyes, clearly shaken up.

“I had to try to make it back here by nightfall. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem but I was bleeding all over the place and couldn’t go too fast, otherwise I’d likely bleed out. You know, the sad irony is, I told you that you couldn’t come with me back to the Tower because you’d tear your stitches and bleed. Now, I get myself hurt and do the exact same thing.”

I paused and looked back up at him tenderly.

“Hey, you had no way of knowing this was going to happen. Those Bombers are insanely dangerous and you couldn’t have gotten away, even if you’d tried harder, if that were even possible. Don’t blame yourself, Luke.”

He opened his eyes and held my gaze for a long moment, gently putting his hand over mine, and nodded. I squeezed his hand in reassurance and pulled away, setting the alcohol and now dirty cotton pads down.

I cleared my throat and asked, “Now what do I do?”

He reached over and grabbed the needle and thread, casually handing them over to me.

I took them tentatively and tried to stay calm. After taking a deep breath, I said in a low voice, “I don’t know how to do this.”

Luke asked, “Do you know how to sew?”

I nodded.

“It’s exactly the same. Except instead of connecting two pieces of fabric, it’s skin.”

I grimaced and muttered, “That’s disgusting.”

I tried to thread the needle with my trembling fingers and after what felt like ages, I finally got it through and tied a couple knots in the ends of the string. I reached up to touch him, a thought niggling at the back of my mind.

Suddenly it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I sat up swiftly.

“Wait! Shouldn’t I be wearing gloves?”

He smiled lightly and said, “Yes, yes you should. There’s a box in the closet in the bathroom, where you found the first aid kit.”

I promptly ran back to the bathroom, grabbed the gloves and snapped them on as I returned to the living room. I kneeled down in front of Luke and picked the needle back up. When I attempted to start pulling the edges of his skin together, he winced and placed his hand on mine again, albeit a little tighter this time in warning.

“Woah, stop, stop. You need to start with one side first. Push the needle through one side of skin and then pull it through the other side. That way, you’ll close up the wound one side at a time. Otherwise, if you try to push the skin together first, when you remove your hands to push the needle through, it’s just going to slide apart again. Trust me, it does not feel good.”

I tried to nod but I was extremely tense and my hands were shaking again. If I didn’t manage to stitch him back together just right and he got an infection or something, I could put his life in jeopardy. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.

Luke squeezed my hand again to get my attention and I looked up at him hesitantly.

He said confidently to me, “You can do this, Allie. I know you can. Just focus.”

I took a deep breath trying to steady myself.

_In, out. In, out. In…_

After a few minutes of that, I had reassured myself as much as I thought I possibly could that I had it under control. I decided to just go for it and stuck the needle through one side of his skin, towards the bottom of the gash. I pulled the string taut and closed that part of the wound, repeating the process multiple times. By the time I was finished, Luke was sweating and panting in pain.

I snipped the thread with some small scissors from the kit and tied a few knots to secure the stitches. After I’d laid out a few pieces of gauze over the wound and secured it with the medical tape, I sat back on my heels and let out a long and relieved sigh.

Luke smiled at me faintly.

“You did good. I’m proud of you.”

I returned his smile and joked, “Now I can put stitching together a wound with no medical experience on my resume.”

He started to laugh and it was cut off by a cough again. He placed his hand over his abdomen, cradling his wound, and said, “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts like a bitch.”

Still smiling, I apologized softly, “Sorry. Do you have any painkillers?”

He pointed towards the hall lazily and said, “Bathroom closet again. I think it’s an Ibuprofen bottle.”

I washed my hands in the bathroom and grabbed the bottle, heading back out to the living room.

Luke had snatched one of the protein bars off of the coffee table and was munching on it. I handed him two pills and a glass of water I’d left on the table earlier and he quickly swallowed the pills and leaned over to set the glass back down.

I finally plopped down onto the couch next to him and gestured towards his duffel bag.

“So, I take it you were able to stock up on some supplies.”

He followed my gaze and said, “Yeah, I grabbed some more gauze, some alcohol, and some stuff for when we need to head out on runs. I have your Antizin doses too.”

I nodded in relief and asked, “Only a few doses though, right?”

He tilted his head onto the couch and replied quietly, “Lena gave me ten doses. It should be enough for about a month, maybe more if you try to stretch it out. You’ll have to check in with her or Dr. Zere for more doses when you return though.”

I fell silent at his mention of returning to the Tower. While I appreciated Brecken letting me stay there and trusting me enough to be a runner, I had to admit that I preferred it out here. It was quiet, it was just us, and it felt normal. While I knew I was trying to escape from reality, especially after being bitten, I couldn’t help it.

Besides, I had never been one to fit in with big groups of people anyway.

Luke looked over at me in concern when I hadn’t responded in a while and asked, “Allie, you okay?”

I sighed for what felt like the tenth time tonight and said, “I’m fine. I’m just thinking.”

I waved my hand towards the bedroom.

“You can take the bed tonight. My neck feels a lot better and I don’t mind taking the couch.”

Luke furrowed his eyebrows.

“I’m not going to take the bed and make you sleep out here, no way. Stay in the bedroom.”

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at him.

“This is no time to attempt to be chivalrous. You’re way more injured than I am and you need to rest. I’m fine, seriously. Take the bed.”

He frowned and stayed quiet, lost in thought for a few seconds before he stood.  I rose after him hastily and offered my shoulders again.

He slung his arm around me and we trudged over to the bedroom. I nudged the door open with my foot and he gingerly sat down on the bed, swinging his legs up. He kicked off his shoes and slid up the bed, trying not to use his ab muscles. When he moved to lay down, I reached up to pull the covers over him. I tried not to stare at his bare chest because it would’ve been pretty inappropriate.

He sighed in comfort and said, “Damn, it is nice to be back in my own bed.”

Amused, I replied, “Yeah, Brecken’s bunks aren’t the most comfortable. I’ll be up for a little bit longer, so let me know if you need anything, okay?”

He nodded, his eyes already drifting shut.

I tiptoed to the door, closing it a little bit but not completely so that I could hear him if he needed to call out to me, and headed back to the living room.

I laughed to myself, and thought, We’re quite the pair. Stitches in my neck, now stitches in his side. Honestly.

I shook my head, amused, and laid back down onto the couch. I had told him I would be up for a little while longer but I was so exhausted and I couldn’t help but shut my eyes.

He had been in bad shape. What would have happened if I hadn’t been here? Would he seriously have tried to stitch himself back together? I cringed inwardly at the thought of him, alone in the apartment, sticking that needle through his ruined skin himself.

I rolled over into the couch, facing the back cushions, and tried to rid myself of my morbid train of thought. After letting my thoughts wander about other things for awhile, I finally dozed off.

 

\---

The next few weeks passed more quickly than I would’ve liked. I had to take a dose of Antizin about every four to five days. At the four day mark, I started getting extremely tired and Luke thought that if I tried to push it any further than that, I’d begin to have seizures and we definitely did not want that. We only had about half of Lena’s doses left.

My stitches eventually came out somewhere close to the end of two weeks, but Luke’s had to stay in for a few days longer. His wound had been much worse than mine. I was pretty proud of the fact that they were healing perfectly.

Neither of us brought up the subject of what had happened between us in the kitchen before he’d left for the Tower, though it was pretty obvious it was on both of our minds. We never went out of our way to touch each other necessarily, but when it did happen, we’d glance at each other to see how the other had reacted. Most of the time however, we tried to give each other a wide berth, almost like planets in orbit. We circled around each other but never met.

We didn’t do much day in, day out. We usually just sat and talked about the things we both missed the most about pre-outbreak life. We missed our families, we missed home. He had a pretty shabby collection of DVDs from the rental store a few blocks away and I’m pretty sure we watched each of those movies four times each on his tiny, old-school television. Other times we’d just sit in silence together in the living room, enjoying the fact that there was another live human being to share the space with.

There was one night, about a week ago, when I had been heading into the bedroom to get some sleep and Luke had stopped me, grasping my hand. When I had turned back to him to ask him what was wrong, he had leaned in, almost as if he were going to kiss me. At the last second, he straightened and walked away, not looking back at me. The next day, he had acted completely normal and I never asked him why he did it. He also never bothered to explain.

Before we knew it, the day of my departure had finally arrived.

 

\----

 

The smell of freshly cooked eggs drifted through the apartment from the kitchen, thanks to me cooking breakfast. I dumped the eggs onto a plate and carried it with my obligatory cup of coffee into the living room.

I was sitting at the table, eating my delicious - though somewhat rubbery - eggs, when Luke came into the living room. He set something down on the table in front of me and the sudden noise startled me. I glanced up sharply and saw that he’d set a small pack down.

“Uh, what’s in that?”

He held his hand up, tallying on his fingers as he spoke.

“Some snacks for your trip back, some gauze to stop your incessant bleeding if something happens, a UV flashlight, and...my spare radio. Oh and some of those firecrackers I picked up a couple weeks ago.”

I straightened, setting my plate down on the table.

“I can get all of that at the Tower, Luke. I don’t want to take your supplies.”

He put his hands out in a placating gesture and insisted, “No, I’d rather you take them in case you end up needing them. If you don’t use any of it, just give it to Mesut. I’m sure he’d pass it on.”

I looked down, feeling grateful that he’d thought of me. I mumbled my thanks and went back to finishing my eggs.

Now that he’d gotten that out of the way, Luke walked over to the desk and sank down into the chair in front of it. The atmosphere got incredibly awkward and neither of us seemed to know what to say.

After a few minutes of silence had passed, I stood and took my plates to the kitchen. When I returned to the living room, Luke had moved from the desk to stand by the door, his arms crossed.

I picked up the pack and slung it over my shoulder, walking up to the front door. He pulled it open for me and stood slightly behind it, to let me pass by.

I shifted my weight uncomfortably, bringing my arm up to rub my other forearm. I heard Luke chuckle and I looked up at him, not understanding what was so amusing about trying to say goodbye.

He monitored to my arms and I brought them down, embarrassed that he’d noticed my bad habit.

He laughed again and said, “I started noticing sometime last week that you do that when you’re nervous.”

I crossed my arms, self-conscious now, and said, “Yeah...I kind of suck at goodbyes.”

His smile faded and he said softly, “Then let’s not make this an official goodbye. I’m sure we’ll see each other again. I’m at the Tower every few weeks.”

I nodded slowly, not at all satisfied with his answer, and took my time walking out the door into the hallway.

I turned to face Luke again and said, “Well then, I guess I’ll maybe see you in a few weeks.”

He stared at me for a long time, not saying anything. I did the same to him. The light from the window illuminating the dust in the air as it floated between us, giving the moment an almost magical, if not slightly dispirited, feel.

Eventually, he nodded and I finally turned away. When I reached the ledge, I hesitated for a moment, fighting with myself on whether I should turn and wave one last time. I took a deep breath and jumped to the ground floor.

As I walked through the lobby, I tried to hold my tears back, refusing to allow my emotions to overwhelm me. I had always been an easy crier and I was absolutely terrible at goodbyes. I definitely did not lie to him about that. I walked through the front doors and looked up into the sky, admiring the clear blue shade. I blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the lingering liquid that was still there.

I took a shaky breath and set off for the Tower. The entire time I ran, my mind was filled with thoughts of Luke. What was he doing now? What was he thinking about? How was he feeling? What would things be like at the safe zone, now that I was gone?

I had made it about halfway back, just above the tunnel that Luke had gotten trapped in, when I came to a sudden stop and swore under my breath. My mind was way too jumbled and it was frustrating me. I put my hands on my hips and stared out over the city, breathing heavily. So that I wouldn’t be too exposed on the street, I hopped up onto the abandoned train car that still remained on the tracks I was standing on.

I started to play with the ends of my hair again and pulled my radio out of my bag, the anxiety driving me crazy.

“Jade, are you there?” I asked impatiently.

After a few moments of silence, she finally replied.

“Allie? Yeah, I’m here, but I’m a little busy right now. Where are you?”

“I’m about halfway back. You’re busy? What’s going on?”

She sighed and made a sound that came from the depths of pure frustration.

“Crane has been out running errands for Rais, trying to secure a couple crates of Antizin. He hasn’t returned yet though and we just had someone on the eighteenth floor turn. People are starting to panic, and for good reason.”

“Woah wait, _Rais_?! And someone _turned_?”

Jade hummed in affirmation and said, “Yes, unfortunately. We used the last of our Antizin last week. We were expecting Crane to be back by then but…”

I stayed silent for a few minutes, chewing on my lower lip in deep thought. I was so torn. Luke had about five doses back at the safe zone. Part of me wanted to tell Lena that she could have them but the other part of me wanted to turn around and go back to him, never letting Jade know. It was selfish and I hated myself for it.

Apparently, the good side of me won because I quietly told Jade, “I know Luke still has five doses, if you guys need them.”

Jade didn’t say anything right away and I knew she was also weighing the pros and cons.

Eventually, she asked, “Aren’t you using them?”

I shook my head, even though I knew she couldn’t see me.

“I’m already half way back, remember? They’re back at the safe zone with him.”

More silence came from the radio and I could barely hear Jade when she finally spoke again.

“Are you really coming back, Allie? I know we haven’t known each other long but Luke...I think he needs you there.”

“But...doesn’t Brecken need me with you guys?”

Jade scoffed.

“Things are so crazy right now, I doubt he’ll notice if you don’t return for another few weeks. Talk to him about staying out there permanently then.”

I smiled softly and thanked Jade, grateful that she had made the decision for me, and switched the radio off.

I lowered myself down onto the top of the train car, deciding to think about this a little bit more. I still felt bad for keeping the doses for myself, but knowing that I could get to stay with Luke at the safe zone...that happiness greatly overshadowed the guilt, which I’m pretty sure made me the world’s worst person. I hurriedly checked my watch, seeing that I had only been gone for a couple of hours. Decision made, I swiftly turned back towards the safe zone, my smile widening into a full blown grin. I broke into a sprint, easily jumping down from the tracks and running along the street, weaving in and out of biters.

I was so elated, the entire concept of being concerned that I was acting stupidly by running on the street, didn’t even occur to me.

Out of sheer luck, I reached the safe zone again and ran into the lobby. I couldn’t wait to see his face when he opened the door and saw me standing there. After I pulled myself up to the main floor, I skipped to the apartment door and knocked firmly. I beamed up to the camera that was looking down at me and waved, hearing the bolts on the other side slide open.

The door opened and Luke stood there with a bewildered expression on his face.

“Allie? What are you doing here?”

Still bouncing on cloud nine, I shrugged my shoulders and smiled up at him.

“I decided I didn’t want to go back to the Tower. I want to stay here with you. If...you don’t mind, that is.”

Luke shook his head and said, “What are you talking about? Brecken needs you there. He told me himself you had to go back once you were healed.”

“Yeah uh...I talked to Jade and she knows I’m not going back. I’ll tell Brecken myself when we go together next time for supplies.”

“We? What exactly are we now, partners in crime?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.

I crossed my arms, irritated and confused at his tone and replied, “No...but I thought I could help you out here. I can come with you on runs and watch your back, plus I can help around the safe zone. Things are always easier with two people instead of one.”

He looked down and said in a low voice, “I do things alone, Allie. That’s why I came all the way out here. I don’t need your help.”

“Really? So you could’ve stitched yourself back up that night then, huh?” I retorted.

When he looked back up at me, his eyes seemed almost cruel, their shade of blue resembling tumultuous waves during an ocean storm.

“It wouldn’t have been my first time. I don’t recall asking for your help that night and I’m definitely not asking for it now. Go back to the Tower, Allie. Maybe you’ll find someone there who actually needs you.”

I reeled back, hurt by what he had said.

I took a minute to compose myself and process how to respond without pissing him off further. Softly, I asked, “So that’s how it is, then? You saved me, I helped you out, so our debt is repaid? You really didn’t enjoy spending time together over the past few weeks? Was I mistaken about that? I know I felt like things were different here, between you and I. I felt comfortable here. You didn’t feel any of that?”

He moved his hand from behind the door and raised it, bracing it against the door above his head. In it, he held a half-drunken beer bottle. I glanced quickly at it and my heart dropped in disappointment. He’d been drinking since I’d left.

I gestured to the bottle and said, “Seriously?”

He shrugged his large shoulders and said, “Why not? Everyone leaves eventually. I figured I’d start enjoying my own company after you turned out not to be any different.”

“That’s not fair, Luke. You and I both knew from the start that I was returning to the Tower.”

“If you were going to come back, then why’d you leave in the first place earlier?”

I sighed and looked down, inspecting my shoes. Ignoring his question, I waved my hand inside and asked, “Can I come in now? Please?”

“Why should I let you in? You probably won’t leave if I do.”

“If you really want me to go, I’ll go. I’m just asking for a few minutes, Luke.”

He watched me for a few seconds and finally pushed the door open, stepping to the side. I used the opportunity and brushed past him quickly, before he changed his mind.

Once I was inside, he shut the door loudly and I cringed. A steel door was already loud enough, let alone when you gave it your all in closing it.

He walked past me towards the couch and I caught a whiff of the sharp scent of beer that was on him. When he sat down, he immediately put his feet up on the table and I saw that there were three other bottles that were already empty. I’d only been gone for two hours, he must have started as soon as I had walked out of the building.

He looked up at me and taunted, “So, you gonna convince me to let you stay then, or what?”

I shook my head in disappointment and sighed.

_So much for a heartwarming reunion_ , I thought to myself.

“You’re already drunk. Are you even going to remember any of this?”

He lifted the bottle in his hand and eyed it thoughtfully.

“I haven’t had that much…” he trailed off.

Luke hadn’t told me anything about his past or where he had come from originally, but I did notice now that when he was drunk, a slight Texan accent started to sneak out and taint his speech. It would’ve been really adorable, if he wasn’t being extremely obnoxious at the moment.

He raised the bottle towards me and said, “So! You gonna convince me or what?”

“Fine, you want me to just get right to it, then? Well for starters, I think you’re just in denial about enjoying my company and that really, you would like me to stay with you rather than return to the Tower. I think that you thought it was nice to have someone else here because I know I wasn’t the only one who felt like we’d gotten closer over the past few weeks. But...I think that you’re afraid to let anyone in because you’ve tried so hard to push people away, like you tried to with me. You’ve avoided any physical contact with me, even after we kissed-” He cringed. “-and now you’re trying to keep me from staying. I think that you believe if I’m gone, there is definitely no chance of anything happening between us.”

Silence fell after my tirade and Luke didn’t say anything in response, perhaps realizing that I had hit closer to the truth than he was comfortable with.

Suddenly, he shot up off of the couch and set his bottle down on the table harshly. He tried to cross the room, nearly tripping over the coffee table when he went to walk around it, and came to stand right in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.

Startled, I jumped at the contact and looked up at him questioningly.

“Luke? What-” His eyes narrowed at me and he gently brought his hands up to cup my face, caressing my cheek with his thumbs. “-are you...doing?”

“So...you think I’m in denial, huh?”

I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, yes I do. We’ve...never talked about what happened in the kitchen the first night I was here. You also never brought up that night you almost kissed me again the hall. Ever since then, it’s like we’ve been avoiding each other because neither one of us wanted to come to terms with what it all might actually mean. I’m ready to admit it, but are you?”

He leaned his head back and studied me, before quietly asking, “What exactly are you ready to admit?”

I blushed and averted my gaze, embarrassed that he was actually going to make me say it out loud. I whispered, “That...I’m attracted to you, Luke. I want to stay here with you because I like you and I enjoy spending time with you. I don’t want to return to the Tower without you.”

His expression changed, his eyes darkened, and he brought his hands down behind my neck, tilting my head up.

“Hey, that’s all I wanted to hear.”

He leaned down and kissed me then, softly at first but then more insistently as the kiss lengthened. He moved his hands to my waist, playing with my shirt and brushing his fingers along the front of my waist, making me gasp into his mouth.

I could feel him smiling against my cheek as he moved down to kiss my jaw, trailing his lips from the bottom of my chin to my ear, then back to my lips again. Each time he reached my ear, he’d bite lightly on my earlobe and I’d gasp at the sensation. My skin tingled every place he kissed me.

After a few minutes of teasing, he leaned back and started to lift my shirt up at an excruciating pace, asking permission silently with his eyes. When I finally nodded, he pulled it completely off and tossed it aside, pulling me back in. His shirt rubbed against my exposed skin now and the sensation gave me goosebumps everywhere. When I shivered, he slowly ran his hands up and down my upper arms.

Now it was my turn to play with his shirt and I coyly looked up at him, toying with the hemline. He smiled at me seductively, and stepped back to take it off. After he’d lifted it over his head, he held it in his hand as I admired his body. I’d only had the chance to see his bare chest once, when I had stitched his wound back together a few weeks ago. Now that it was during the day and he wasn’t bleeding all over himself, I had ample time to appreciate the view.

His body was built like a lumberjack, the perfect example of masculinity, with all of his strength in his upper shoulders and biceps. He had lean hips but they were wider and stockier than say, a swimmer, who tended to have more tapered lines. He had a fine dusting of brown hair along his pecs and it traveled down to a thin line below his belly button. It was darker than the hair on his head, of course, and when my eyes followed the line down to his waistline, my stomach did a somersault of anticipation.

I ran my hand along his biceps, over his pecs, and then down his rippled abs.

They tensed, iron strength moving underneath supple skin, and he grunted. Through teeth clenched tightly, he said, “It’s...been awhile.”

My mind filled with thoughts of what else would be extremely sensitive. I hooked my fingertips around his belt loops, tugging lightly, trying to hint that I wanted them off.

He smirked and tossed his shirt onto the ground. As if to tease me back, he undid his button and proceeded to unzip his zipper, one metal tooth at a time.

I grinned mischievously and pulled on his belt loops, taking his jeans with me as I lowered my body to the ground. His eyes were a deep shade of blue as he watched my progress, even more rich than they were when we first started.

After I helped him out of his shoes, he kicked his jeans aside. Delicately, I ran my hands up his thighs, brushing softly against the fine hair on his legs as I stood back up. He groaned softly and pulled me backwards towards the bedroom, his hands under my elbows.

I allowed him to lead, never taking my eyes off of his.

When we neared the bedroom, he turned me and pushed me gently towards the bed. The backs of my knees hit the edge and I pulled him onto the bed after me, relishing in the feel of his weight pressing me into the mattress. It was a comfortable weight, a weight that made me feel protected and safe.

All of my senses were hyperactive at this point. I could smell the same musky, spicy scent that I’d smelled before on the shirt he’d let me borrow, radiating from his body now. The heat he was giving off burned me, but in the most amazing way. The sheets on the bed tickled my back and my skin felt extremely sensitive once more, as if I’d come apart if he so much as touched me.

He kissed my collarbone and I gasped at the sensation. As he reached underneath me to unhook my bra, I arched my back to allow him easier access. When he tossed it over his shoulder onto the floor, I giggled and slapped my hand over my mouth, shocked at the sound.

Luke tilted his head at my reaction, confused, and I shook my head in response.

“Oh the things you do to me, Luke. I never giggle…” I whispered.

In a low, flirtatious voice, he said, “I’m hoping giggles aren’t the only sound I can get out of you…”

My giggle from earlier turned into a full blown laugh and I tilted my head back.

“Wow, someone is feeling really confident today.”

He kissed down my chest and circled his tongue around my belly button, eliciting more giggles out of me, before he unbuttoned my jeans with a snap. He grasped the band of my underwear with my jeans and pulled, lifting it off of my hips and I lifted my body to allow him to pull them completely off. He stood and quickly did the same with his boxer briefs, making a cold breeze drift over me, then slid his body back over mine.

He met my gaze and held it for a few seconds before asking, “You’re sure, right?”

I nodded and interlaced my fingers behind his neck. “Are you?”

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m sure.”

I gasped as our bodies became one and Luke buried his face in my neck. Every time he thrust, I dug my fingers into his back, moaning. He kissed me again, roughly this time. I could feel the urgency in it. 

As he kept moving, the pressure in my body built, like a violin string tightening, racing closer to the point of snapping. I arched my back, almost at the point of no return and he tucked his arms underneath me, lifting me so that we were wrapped around each other in an embrace. He used his strength to lift my body, and I gasped at the difference in sensation.   
  
I tightened my hands in his hair and he groaned. Spurred on by my reaction, he moved faster, harder. I tossed my head back, lost in what I was feeling. Suddenly, the tension snapped and I cried out, clinging to him. The edges of my vision blurred and through the haze in my mind, I faintly heard him cry out as well. I leaned my head on his shoulder and gasped for air, trying to come back down to Earth. His arms wrapped around my back and he gently lowered me onto the bed, rolling behind me and draping his arm over me.   
  
I sighed in contentment, focusing on his finger tracing circles on my stomach. I flinched, and he chuckled behind me.  
  
"Ticklish, are we?"  
  
I held up my thumb and pointer finger in a gesture that was supposed to mean, 'a little bit'.   
  
He nuzzled the back of my shoulder and teased, "So worn out you can't talk?"  
  
I elbowed him lightly in the abdomen and he coughed. I turned my head to the side, trying to look at him over my shoulder.

"Are you sober now?"

He laid his head back down on the pillow, resuming his tracing, and said, "I've been sober for awhile, actually. Two of those three bottles went straight down the drain. I wasn't even really drunk, just in a good place."

"Oh, is that so?" I asked sarcastically.

He laughed and stood, reaching for his pants and quickly putting them on as he walked out of the room.

I smiled at his change in attitude and sat up, reaching down for my clothes as well.

When he didn't return after a few minutes, I stood and walked over to the bookshelf, picking up one of the photos of Luke and the blonde woman. He looked more like the Luke in this picture now than he had when we first met. Not necessarily in his physical appearance but in the look in his eyes.   
  
He came back into the room suddenly and saw me mostly dressed, holding the picture in my hand and froze. I turned to look at him, silently questioning him with my eyes and trying to gauge whether he would be willing to talk about it now.

He slowly came to stand in front of me, taking the picture out of my hand and gazing at it with an impassive expression that was impossible to read. 

"Who is she?" I whispered.  
  
Gently, he set the photo back down on the shelf, caressing the edges of the frame lightly with his fingers.

"She was my wife," he said quietly, still facing away from me and looking at the photo, a tender expression on his face.  
  
I pressed on.

"What happened to her?"

He sighed and turned, heading back to sit down on the bed. I sensed that this could be a long talk so I settled down next to him, crossing my legs underneath me. I reached out and took his hand in mine, hoping to comfort him as he dredged up old memories.   
  
In a soft voice, he said, "She died, two years ago. In a car accident."  
  
I squeezed his hand and he looked at me, his expression haunted.

"Luke, I'm so sorry."  
  
He nodded and looked away.

"Do you want to talk about it some more?"  
  
He gazed off into space and he started to speak slowly, as if he had to gain momentum in order to get further into their history.

"We met in college. Dated for a few years, got married at a local church."  
  
"You were religious?"  
  
He shook his head.

"Not really, but her family was. Christian. Anyway, we had decided to get married before I left for my residency, not knowing where we'd end up. That way we could put roots down together rather than one of us having to sacrifice anything."  
  
"You guys really wanted to do everything as a team, it sounds like."  
  
He smiled lightly, his expression gentle.

"Yeah, she was always all about teamwork. I was notified that I'd been granted a position at Harran City Hospital in their Coronary Care Unit. We went out to dinner to celebrate. On our way home, as we were driving through an intersection, a...drunk driver...came barreling through. He'd run a red light. Hit us on the passenger side of the car."  
  
I looked down, shaking my head, my chest tight with empathy. 

He let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

His voice trembled when he said, "She died, right in front of me. I held her while we waited for the ambulance to arrive on the scene. Her blood was all over me. It coated my hands, it stained the ground beneath her. I couldn't escape the images. They haunted me every day and night. The day after her funeral, I flew out here. I couldn't take it anymore."

I sighed, the air heavy with emotion.

"I don't even know what to say."  
  
He pulled his hand out of mine and stood, facing the window, as if he were trying to distance himself from me.

"There's nothing that you can say. She's gone, I'm here. That's how things are now."  
  
I stood as well and wrapped my arms around him, barely able to completely embrace him because his body was so much wider than mine. I placed my cheek against his back and nuzzled it against his shirt, comforted by the soft fabric.

"But I'm here with you."  
  
He placed his hand on my forearm and turned his head towards me, his voice low and soothing.

"You are, aren't you?"

I closed my eyes and said quietly, "And I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."

After a few moments of cuddling, I teased softly, "But you know...you never admitted you wanted me to stay..."

He chuckled and turned to kiss me softly, whispering, "I would've thought I had made it pretty obvious I wanted you here. So, I talked a little about me, now it's your turn."

I met his gaze, panic washing over me at the thought of having to face my own memories. I didn't know if I was ready to think about what happened when I first arrived in Harran. It was only fair that I shared my story though, since Luke had shared his with me at my insistence.

He pulled me back over to the bed and sat down, scooting back to lean on the wall and indicated that I should lean on his chest.  
  
I smiled lightly at his attempt to make me feel more comfortable and crawled back towards him, settling in against his body.  
  
After a few seconds of silence, while paying with the bottom of my shirt and looking straight ahead at nothing in particular, I quietly started.   
  
"My best friend Emily and I have been together since we were kids. We grew up together. We went to elementary, junior high, high school and even college together. This year was our senior year of college. We were supposed to graduate in just a semester. Emily's mom's family is from Harran, but they emigrated to New York when her mom was just a kid. Anyway, they decided to take a family trip back here to introduce Em to her heritage and whatnot. They were nice enough to invite me along and I figured hey, it's the last summer before my last semester in college. I could use a vacation, right?"  
  
When I buried my head down into his chest, he raised his arm and caressed my back, encouraging me to continue.   
  
Tears started to pool in my eyes and I said, "It was me, Emily, her parents, and her grandparents. We were supposed to fly out back to New York the next day. But...all of a sudden, we heard people start screaming. They were running everywhere and there was so much chaos. Even if we had managed to make it to the airport, there was no way we would've made it out."  
  
Luke asked gently, "How did you make it out?"  
  
I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, trying to stem the tide of tears before they started falling. It didn't help, and they started streaming down my face.   
  
I choked out, "Emily's grandfather got caught by a biter. Her grandmother turned to help him and then she went down...obviously her parents couldn't just run, you know? Emily looked right at me and she pushed me away, towards the gate at the entrance. She told me if her family was dying there, then so was she. But that I didn't need to. Then she turned and ran back to the hotel. At first I called after her, trying to get her to leave with me. She didn't even look back. When I saw the biters take her down, I...panicked. I turned and ran. I can't believe I just left her there."  
  
Luke pushed me up and away from his body, lifting my head up so he could look into my eyes, his expression stern.   
  
Forcefully, he said, "You didn't leave her there. She made her choice. You did what you had to do in order to survive, Allie. It was not your fault."  
  
I nodded and when I spoke, my voice was hoarse.

"I know that now. But after it happened I just felt so guilty for being the only one to survive, so guilty for just leaving them there. What if I could've done something else to save them? What if...if I hadn't left, I could've at least helped Emily? Convinced her to come with me?"  
  
Smoothing back my hair, he cupped my face in his hands.

"There's no point in asking what if. You're just torturing yourself. You have to keep looking ahead."  
  
"Thanks, Luke," I murmured.   
  
He tenderly kissed the top of my head and rested his chin there.   
  
We sat in silence, comforted by each other's presence. I had to admit that finally getting what happened to Emily and her family off of my chest, made me feel liberated from the guilt that I hadn’t realized I’d been running from since.

Luke continued to hold me like that as we shared stories with each other from before the outbreak, both sad and happy. Eventually, the sun set on us and night came once again. I fell asleep cradled in his arms, feeling truly safe for the first time in a long time.


End file.
